ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Evaluation of the Status of Contamination
of Arable Soils in Poland with DDT and HCH
Residues; National and Regional Scales
Barbara Maliszewska-Kordybach, Bożena Smreczak, Agnieszka Klimkowicz-Pawlas
More details
Hide details
Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation State Research Institute,
Department of Soil Science and Land Conservation, Czartoryskich 8, 24-100 Puławy, Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2014;23(1):139-148
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
The aim of our study was to evaluate the content of organochlorine pesticides (DDTs and HCHs) in the
upper layer of arable soils in Poland. 214 soil samples were analyzed for the content of three HCH congeners
(α-HCH, β-HCH, and γ-HCH) and three DDT compounds (pp’DDT, pp’DDE, and pp’DDD). The median soil
concentration of Σ3DDT was 24.39 μg·kg-1, while for Σ3HCH it was 2.85 μg·kg-1 with the highest contribution
of γ-HCH isomer. Polish criteria for agricultural soils not polluted with DDTs are met by half of the samples.
In the case of γ-HCH the Polish limit value of 0.5 μg·kg-1 was met in 6.5% of the samples. However,
according to the less restrictive systems applied in other countries (Canada, Romania) none of the soil samples
create a hazard due to contamination with DDTs, and only 6-11% exhibit too high concentrations of γ-
HCH (residues of Lindane). The mean contents of DDTs and γ-HCH in soils from different provinces varied
widely with the reverse interdependence of both groups of pesticides. The districts with the highest concentrations
of DDT (Podlaskie, Wielkopolskie, and Mazowieckie) were characterized by the lowest mean residues
of Lindane. This suggests the long-term effects of the prescriptive state system of distribution of pesticides
used in Poland more than 40 years ago.