TITLE:
Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane (DDT) and Endosulfan in Sediments of Sabancuy Lagoon, Campeche, Mexico
AUTHORS:
Miguel Angel Ramírez-Elías, Atl Victor Córdova-Quiroz, Julia Griselda Cerón-Bretón, Rosa María Cerón-Bretón, Jaime Rendón-von Osten, Javier Hipólito Cortés-Simón
KEYWORDS:
Organochlorine Pesticides, Pollution, Sabancuy, Coastal Lagoons
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Ecology,
Vol.6 No.1,
January
15,
2016
ABSTRACT: DDT and
Endosulfan are persistent organic compounds which have been prohibited and
their use has been limited in agricultural activities due to their toxicity,
persistence and bioaccumulation potential. The use of DDT in fumigation
campaigns against endemic diseases transmitted by vectors of malaria and dengue
was prohibited in Carmen Island, Campeche, Mexico since 1995. In the
surroundings of Sabancuy Lagoon, many and diverse agricultural activities are
carried out and it is a common practice to use organ-chlorine pesticides as
endosulfan. In order to know the levels of these compounds in this area, a
sediment sampling campaign was carried out in ten sampling points randomly
located within the Sabancuy Lagoon, Campeche and considering one reference
sampling point located 2 km away from Sabancuy Lagoon within the Mexican Gulf.
Three metabolites were identified in sediments samples belonging to DDT’s
family: (4,4’-DDD; 4,4’-DDE; 4,4’- DDT) and Endosulfan’s family (Endosulfan I,
Endosulfan II y Endosulfan sulfate). Higher concentrations in DDT’s family were
found for 4,4’-DDD, followed by 4,4’-DDE and 4,4’-DDT. Endosulfan’s family,
showed the following order for concentrations: Endosulfan II > Endosulfan I
> Endosulfan sulfate. Mean concentration for S-DDT and S-Endosulfan in Sabancuy Lagoon
sediments was twice higher than those found in other studies carried out in
Términos Lagoon, Campeche, Mexico in 2002.