Bioaccumulation of organochlorine pesticides in aquatic system—an overview

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment 2011-02, Vol.173 (1-4), p.905-916
• Main Authors: Chopra, A. K., Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Chamoli, Shikha
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; Agrochemicals; Aldrin; Aldrin - analysis; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Applied sciences; Aquatic animals; Aquatic ecosystems; Aquatic environment; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bioaccumulation; Biological and medical sciences; Biota; Chronic illnesses; Contamination; Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane - analysis; Dieldrin; Dieldrin - analysis; Drinking water; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Endosulfan; Endosulfan - analysis; Endrin; Environment; Environmental Management; Environmental monitoring; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Enzymes; Exact sciences and technology; Food contamination & poisoning; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Groundwater; Health hazards; Heptachlor; Hexachlorocyclohexane; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated - analysis; Indicator organisms; Insecticides; Lindane; Lindane - analysis; Metabolites; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Nausea; Organic chemicals; Organic compounds; Organochlorine pesticides; PCB; Pesticide residues; Pesticide toxicity; Pesticides; Pesticides - analysis; Pollution; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Public awareness; Rivers; Sediments; Studies; Toxicity; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water pollution
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-010-1433-4

In recent years, various environmental issues have aroused a concern on the pollution of pesticides in rivers and in their various intercompartments. Multiple residues of pesticides discharged from industries or as a result of extensive use of agrochemicals in agriculture have been monitored. These pesticide residues contaminate the river ecosystem and its intercompartments such as sediments, and aquatic biota, and make it harmful to humans when they contaminate food and drinking water. The pesticide contamination in water, sediments, and aquatic biota has been reported to be beyond the acceptable range. The most commonly found pesticides are organochlorine, namely, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, hexachlorocyclohexane, endosulfan, heptachlor, lindane, dieldrin, aldrin, endrin, and others. The paper discusses the general description, classification, and toxicity of pesticides; it also aims to create public awareness among people and appraise them with various alternate methods to combat the problem of pesticide contamination. An attempt has also been made to elucidate the findings of various works on pesticides in aquatic system and to highlight the challenging aspects of pesticide contamination, which have not attracted the attention of investigators yet.