Occurrence of organic chlorinated pesticides and their ecological effects on soil protozoa in the agricultural soils of North Western Beijing, China

• Published in: Ecotoxicology and environmental safety 2013-06, Vol.92, p.123-128
• Main Authors: Shi, Yajuan, Lu, Yonglong, Meng, Fanqiao, Guo, Feifan, Zheng, Xiaoqi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: agricultural soils; Agriculture; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Amoeba - drug effects; Amoeba - growth & development; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; China; chlorination; Ciliate; Ciliophora - drug effects; Ciliophora - growth & development; community structure; DDT (pesticide); Ecology; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Monitoring; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agroecology; General agroecology. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development. Rural area planning. Landscaping; General agronomy. Plant production; General aspects; Generalities. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated - analysis; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated - toxicity; land use; long term effects; orchard soils; orchards; Organic chlorinated pesticides (OCPs); Pesticides - analysis; Pesticides - toxicity; Protozoa; Soil - chemistry; soil fauna; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soil Pollutants - toxicity; soil properties; Soil protozoa; Spores, Protozoan - drug effects; Spores, Protozoan - isolation & purification; vegetables
• ISSN: 0147-6513; 1090-2414
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2013.03.006

The occurrence of ∑HCHs, ∑DDTs, protozoa abundance and their community structure in surface soils of orchards, vegetable lands, and barren lands in northern west outskirts of Beijing were detected in order to investigate the protozoa responses to low dose organic chlorinated Pesticides (OCPs) after long-term field-based exposure. Significant differences in total concentrations of HCHs and DDTs were found among the three general groups ranking in decreasing order of concentration from orchard>vegetable lands >barren lands. Ciliate was the rare group in surface soils of all the sampling groups. The abundance of flagellate, ciliate, and amoebae in vegetable soils were significantly higher than those in orchard soils. The abundance of all the taxa of protozoa was strongly negative correlated with the residue level of ∑HCHs and ∑DDTs (P vegetable lands >barren lands.•Abundance of soil protozoa in vegetable lands was higher than those in orchard soils.•Abundance of soil protozoa was negatively correlated with residue level of OCPs.•Abundance of protozoa was influenced by the landuse type.