Distribution and behaviour of persistent organochlorine insecticides in paddy soil and sediments in the tropical environment: a case study in South India

Paddy soil and sediment samples collected from the Vellar River watershed, Tamil Nadu state, South India from December, 1987 to January, 1989 were analysed to understand the comprehensive behaviour of organochlorine insecticides (HCH and DDT) in the tropical environment. HCH (BHC) showed higher levels in soil during wet season, reflecting the application of technical HCH largely during the flowering season of rice. On the other hand, DDT residues were low and did not show a significant seasonal trend in soil or sediment, indicating small quantities of DDT utilized at present for agricultural purposes in India. When compared to soil, the residue levels in sediments are low and the seasonal variation is less pronounced. This indicates that in tropical watersheds, the relative flux of residues into the aquatic environment is smaller than the amount volatilized to the atmosphere.