TY - JOUR

T1 - The long shadow of our chemical past – High DDT concentrations in fish near a former agrochemicals factory in England

AU - Jürgens, Monika

AU - Crosse, John David

AU - Hamilton, Patrick B.

AU - Johnson, Andrew C.

AU - Jones, Kevin Christopher

PY - 2016/11

Y1 - 2016/11

N2 - A total of 81 roach (Rutilus rutilus) collected from 13 southern English river sites between 2007 and 2012, were analysed for organochlorine pesticides, PCBs, PBDEs and some metals. Unexpectedly high concentrations of the banned insecticide DDT and its degradation products DDE and DDD (∑DDTs) were found in the 10 fish from the river Lee (or Lea) which averaged 88 ± 70 (standard deviation) μg/kg ww, almost 20 times higher than the average for the remaining sites (4.8 ± 3.1 μg/kg). All fish from that site exceeded the Canadian Tissue Residue Guideline (environmental quality standard) of 14 μg/kg ∑DDTs. Concentrations of the insecticides chlordane and lindane as well as copper, which is often used as a fungicide, were also elevated in fish from the Lee, though not as much as those of DDTs. A likely explanation for these observations was found in a nearby former pesticide factory, which had stopped production about three decades earlier.An extensive review of recent literature data on DDT in wild European fish found that, while levels are now generally low, there were several other hotspots with ∑DDTs levels that may still be of concern.

AB - A total of 81 roach (Rutilus rutilus) collected from 13 southern English river sites between 2007 and 2012, were analysed for organochlorine pesticides, PCBs, PBDEs and some metals. Unexpectedly high concentrations of the banned insecticide DDT and its degradation products DDE and DDD (∑DDTs) were found in the 10 fish from the river Lee (or Lea) which averaged 88 ± 70 (standard deviation) μg/kg ww, almost 20 times higher than the average for the remaining sites (4.8 ± 3.1 μg/kg). All fish from that site exceeded the Canadian Tissue Residue Guideline (environmental quality standard) of 14 μg/kg ∑DDTs. Concentrations of the insecticides chlordane and lindane as well as copper, which is often used as a fungicide, were also elevated in fish from the Lee, though not as much as those of DDTs. A likely explanation for these observations was found in a nearby former pesticide factory, which had stopped production about three decades earlier.An extensive review of recent literature data on DDT in wild European fish found that, while levels are now generally low, there were several other hotspots with ∑DDTs levels that may still be of concern.

KW - DDT

KW - Pesticides

KW - Freshwater

KW - Fish

KW - Chlordane

KW - Copper

U2 - 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.07.078

DO - 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.07.078

M3 - Journal article

VL - 162

SP - 333

EP - 344

JO - Chemosphere

JF - Chemosphere

SN - 0045-6535

ER -