Ecological risk assessment of organochlorine pesticides in sediment : a case study of the Chanthaburi Estuary

Napaporn Leadprathom

Ecological risk assessment of organochlorine pesticides in sediment : a case study of the Chanthaburi Estuary - Pathum Thani, Thailand : Asian Institute of Technology, 2009 - 122 p. : ill. - Dissertation ; no. EV-09-04 . - Asian Institute of Technology. Dissertation ; no. EV-09-04 .

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctoral of Philosophy in Environmental Engineering and Management Inter-University Program on Environmental Toxicology, Technology and Management

Thesis (Ph.D.) - Asian Institute of Technology - Chulabhorn Research Institute - Mahidol University, 2009

The Chanthaburi River of Thailand is surrounded by vast agricultural areas at its upstream whereas the downstream connecting with the estuary in which intensive aquaculture become wide spread. Such activities have been practiced for over two decades. It is believed that mixtures of toxic compounds, especially those of persistent organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) used for pest control in the farm lands might have been drifted and transferred into the river and further trapped by the sediment within the estuary. This sediment could pose potential harm to aquatic biota in the estuary area particularly through resuspension as a result of dredging of sediment. However, information of OCPs in the area is limited in terms of their behavior and toxicity for native aquatic species. Therefore, this study attempts to determine distribution of OCPs residues in the study area for determination of their environmental risks. Ecological risk was assessed on predominating OCPs in water and sediment by using the safety value from the native shrimp (Penaeus monodon) larva toxicity test and published guidelines. Additionally, OCPs removal from sediment by low density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic pellets was conducted to estimate its potential for OCPs clean up. In water samples, out of twenty OCPs determined, endosulfan and hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) are the two compounds which predominated in a narrow range from 0.6-13 ng/L and 1-12 ng/L, respectively. Both compounds were found to have higher concentrations during the wet season. The two insecticides also had significant correlation with total organic carbon (TOC) in the water, with the r values of 0.571 (P<0.05) and 0.440 (P

Organochlorine compounds
Pesticides--Environmental aspects--Thailand--Chanthaburi Estuary
Pesticides--Risk assessment--Thailand--Chanthaburi Estaury
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