Monitoring of POPs in the East Asian Region: 2004 Report

Huang Yeru, Zhou Li, Shao Dingding, Di Yian, Shi Shuangxin, Ge Haihong

Sino-Japan Friendship Center for Environmental Protection

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Among the important classes of POP chemicals are many families of chlorinated aromatics, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and –furans (PCDDs/PCDFs) and different organochlorine pesticides (e.g. DDT and its metabolites, toxaphene, chlordane, etc.). Some are accidental by-products of combustion or the industrial synthesis of other chemicals (e.g. the PCDD/Fs) not produced deliberately. Many have been synthesized for industrial uses (e.g. PCB, chlorinated paraffin’s) or as agrochemicals (e.g. DDT, lindan, chlordane). As a result of large production and usage volumes throughout the world in the past, pollution has spread and caused problems in wide areas and across country borders. At present, chemicals such as DDT, mirex and toxaphene are still being produced and used because of lack of cheap and effective alternatives developing countries.

Data on POPs monitoring are not only basis for the design of effective measures for the reduction of POPs, but are used as a basis for evaluation of efficiency of the POPs treaty and related measures. In addition, the monitoring data can be used as basic information for selecting new POPs candidate substances that have properties similar to established POPs. Furthermore, insight into POPs and pollutants in general, as well as their effective prevention measures, will be facilitated by promoting and enforcing associations with other related domestic and foreign monitoring and investigation.

The focus of the monitoring in 2004 UNU project is on 14 individual organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). The targeted compounds include p,p’–DDE, o,p’-DDE, p,p’–DDD, p,p”-DDD, p,p’–DDT, o,p’-DDT, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), heptachlor, trans-chlordane, cis-chlordane, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, and mirex, etc. More than 115 soil samples from Beijing, 23 sediment samples from Yongding River, Tonghui River and Chaobai River, and 14 water samples from Miyun, Guanting, Huairou, Shisanling, and Gaobeidian Reservoirs were collected and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Sample preparations for soil and sediment samples were carried out by microwave assisted extraction (MAE) and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE).

Only HCB in the range of 0.1―2.4ng/L were found in all water samples. Trans-chlordane, cis-chlordane, p,p’-DDE, p,p’-DDD and o,p’-DDD were detected in water sample collected in Gaobeidian Reservoir. The distributions of POPs in sediment samples collected were HCB 0.05〜67.3mg/kg，chlordanes ND〜0.190mg/kg，p,p’-DDE ND〜64.9mg/kg, p,p’-DDD ND〜7.35mg/kg and DDTs ND〜40.4mg/kg. The distributions of POPs in soil samples were HCB (113/115) ND〜115mg/kg，chlodanes (20/115) ND〜1.28 mg/kg，DDE (114/115) ND〜1340mg/kg，DDD (95/115) ND〜181mg/kg and DDT (96/115) ND〜344mg/kg. No aldrine, dieldrin, endrin, teptachlor and mirex could be monitored in all samples in this investigation in 2004.