Residue levels of organochlorine pesticides in some ecosystem components of Manzala Lake

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol. 185; no. 12; pp. 10257 - 10268
• Main Authors: Azab, M. M., Darwish, A. A., Mahmoud, Hend A., Sdeek, Fayza A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-12-2013; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Aquatic ecosystems; Aquatic plants; Aquatic weeds; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Chromatography; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecosystem; Ecosystems; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Management; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental testing; Fish; Fishes - metabolism; Fishing; Gas chromatography; Geologic Sediments - chemistry; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated - analysis; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated - metabolism; Laboratories; Lakes; Lakes - chemistry; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Muscles; Organic compounds; Organochlorine compounds; Organochlorine pesticides; PCB; Pesticide residues; Pesticide Residues - analysis; Pesticide Residues - metabolism; Pesticides; Pollutants; Pollution; Pollution levels; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Ports; Roads; Seasons; Sediments; Sodium; Studies; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism; Water pollution; Water Pollution, Chemical - statistics & numerical data; Weeds; Winter; Egypt; Gas chromatography; Pollution; Ecosystem; Organochlorine pesticides
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-013-3330-0

To evaluate the organochlorine pesticide (OCP) contamination of Manzala Lake, its ecosystem was investigated during the winter season (December to March). The studied ecosystem components were water, sediment, aquatic weeds, and fishes in four locations. The samples were analyzed by gas chromatography with electron capture detector. Pollutant levels of total OCPs showed significantly high levels in the water areas of Round road (46.253 ng/ml), Port-Said Damietta road (19.301 ng/ml), followed by Bughas El-Rasoah (5.539 ng/ml), then Ashtoum El Gamel (natural reserve area now) (0.289 ng/ml). Organochlorines were detected in sediment only in Round road (3.359 μg/kg) and Port-Said Damietta road (0.171 μg/kg) by significant order while they were undetectable in Ashtoum El Gamel and Bughas El-Rasoah. Total OCPs in aquatic weeds ranged between 0.194 μg/kg in Port-Said Damietta and 0.026 μg/kg in Ashtoum El Gamel. While OCPs were 0.160 and 0.153 μg/kg in Round road and Bughas El-Rasoah, respectively. Concerning fish muscles OCPs were significantly higher in the Round road area (0.397 μg/kg) followed by the Port-Said Damietta road (0.258 μg/kg), and finally, Ashtoum El Gamel samples (0.126 μg/kg). The results revealed the direct relation for the accumulation of OCPs between studied ecosystem parameters at the Manzala Lake during the winter season. Results also demonstrated that fish samples collected from the Manzala Lake in the studied areas were contaminated with levels of organochlorines, not higher than the maximum permissible level recorded by FAO/WHO, and that the public is not at risk with fish consumption.