Evaluation of Occurrence and Health Risk of Organochlorine Pesticides in Sediments of the Department of Bolivar, Colombia

Abstract

Organochlorine pesticides such as Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) were widely used in agriculture and vector disease control worldwide. Despite its ban in production and application since the 1970s in many countries, its residues in water, air and soil have been reported. Organochlorine pesticides have been proposed as possible carcinogens. In Colombia, organochlorine pesticides were used for many years in agriculture and for vector control. Currently, its waste continues to be found in environmental and biological matrices. The objective of this study was to determine the concentrations of organochlorine pesticides in sediments of freshwater bodies in the department of Bolivar, Colombia and to evaluate the risk of cancer from organochlorine pesticides for adults and children. Pesticide concentrations were determined in sediments at six sites of the main freshwater body in the department of Bolivar, Colombia. Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), a degradation product of DDT, was the most recovered pesticide. Heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide represented an increased risk for cancer in children and adults in this study. This study can provide a reference for the management and control of pesticides at the regional level and to support public health programs.