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Title: Organochlorine pollutants in water, soils, and earthworms in the Guadalquivir River, Spain

Journal Article · · Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; (United States)
OSTI ID:6527836
; ;  [1]
  1. Institute of Organic Chemistry, Madrid (Spain)

Organochlorine compounds (insecticides and polychlorinated biphenyls) are known to maintain their stability in the aquatic environment for long periods. DDT and cyclodiene insecticides were used widely in Spain until their use was banned in 1976; DDT and its degradation products are still found in environmental samples. Since DDT has been legally restricted for use, lindane has become important as a substitute for DDT. This study has been carried out along Guadalquivir River, Spain. This river runs across an agricultural area where pesticides are used extensively. The Guadalquivir basin is the most economically important area of the South of the Iberian Peninsula; its economic importance stems from its proximity to a major metropolitan areas (Cordova, Seville), which indicates the presence of numerous urban, commercial, and industrial locations in the vicinity of the sampling stations. The purposes of this investigation are: (1) to determine the levels of organochlorine compounds in water, soils, and earthworms sampled in ten stations of the Guadalquivir River; (2) to evaluate biological accumulation of pollutants studied within the food webs; (3) to evaluate regional patterns and time trends of residues. 15 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs.

OSTI ID:
6527836
Journal Information:
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; (United States), Vol. 49:2; ISSN 0007-4861
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English