Pesticide concentration in water and sediment of River Ganga at ...

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Volume 3, No 1, 2012

© Copyright by the authors - Licensee IPA- Under Creative Commons license 3.0

Research article ISSN 0976 – 4402

Received on March 2012 Published on July 2012 260

Pesticide concentration in water and sediment of River Ganga at selected

sites in middle Ganga plain Singh Leena

1, Choudhary S. K

2, Singh P. K

3

1- Department of Chemistry, Galgotias College of Engineering and Technology, Greater

Noida, U.P., India

2- Department of Botany T.M. Bhagalpur University, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India

3- Department of Chemistry, K.M. College, Delhi University, Delhi, India

[email protected]

doi:10.6088/ijes.2012030131026

ABSTRACT

This study reports the concentration levels and distribution pattern of the persistent pesticides

residues in water and bed sediments of the Ganga river at Bhagalpur stretch collected

seasonally over a period of 2 years. The water and bed sediment were collected from three

different sites (upstream, midstream and down stream) and analyzed for their pesticide profile.

The study has shown the presence of both organochlorine and organophosphorous pesticides

in the water and sediment of River Ganga at Bhagalpur. We used Liquid-liquid extraction

followed by GC-ECD for the determination of these compounds. Among the various

pesticides analyzed, high concentration of Methyl parathion, Endosulfan and DDT were

observed both in water and sediment samples of the river. The concentration of DDT in

sediment was quite high which might be due to slow degradation of DDT in soil i.e. 75 –

100% in 4-30 years. The present study was first attempt to identify and quantify some

selected pesticides in water and sediment of the river Ganga at Bhagalpur, and may be

important as the Bhagalpur city gets its water supply from the river for drinking purposes.

Keywords: Ganga, bhagalpur, organochlorine, organophosphorous, pesticides, water,

sediment.

1. Introduction

Several hundred pesticides of different chemical nature are currently used for agricultural

purposes all over the world. Because of their widespread use, they are detected in various

environmental matrices, such as soil, water and air. Pesticides are divided in to many classes,

of which the most important are organochlorine and organophosphorous compounds.

Organochlorine pesticides are known to resist biodegradation and therefore they can be

concentrated through food chains and produce a significant magnification of the original

concentration at the end of the chain. It has been cited that the degradation of DDT in soil is

75-100% in 4-30 years. Due to long residence time of these substances in the environment,

there is a great interest in examining the pollution they cause. Oraganophosphorous pesticides,

on the other hand, are known to degrade rapidly depending on their formulation method of

application, climate and the growing stage of the plant.

The general progression of pesticide development has moved from highly toxic, persistent

and bio-accumulating pesticides such as DDT, to pesticides that degrade rapidly in the

environment and are less toxic to non-target organisms. The developed countries have banned

many of the older pesticides due to potential toxic effect to man and\or their impact on

Pesticide concentration in water and sediment of River Ganga at selected sites in middle Ganga plain

Singh Leena, Choudhary S. K, Singh P. K

International Journal of Environmental Sciences Volume 3 No.1, 2012 261

ecosystems, in favour of more pesticide formulations. In the developing countries, however,

organochlorine pesticides still remain the cheapest to produce and, for some purposes, remain

highly effective. Developing countries maintain that they cannot afford, for reason of cost or

efficacy, to ban certain older pesticides. The dilemma of cost/efficacy, versus ecological

impacts, including long range transport, and access to modern pesticides formulations at low

cost remains a contentious global issue. Pesticides like DDT and HCH were used extensively

in India till recently both for agricultural and sanitary purposes. It is estimated that about

25000 MT of chlorinated pesticides were used annually in India and DDT accounted for 40%

of this group (Mathur, 1993).

Pesticide residues reach the aquatic environment through direct runoff, leaching, and careless

disposal of empty container, equipment washing etc. (Milindis, 1994). Surface water

contamination may have ecotoxicological effects for aquatic flora and fauna as well as for

human health if used for public consumption (Forney and Davis, 1981; Leonard, 1988;

Miyamoto et.al, 1990; Mulla and Mian, 1981). Sediments are ecologically important

components of the aquatic habitat, which play a significant role in maintaining the trophic

status of any water body (Singh et.al, 1997). Highly polluted sediments are adversely

affecting the ecological functioning of rivers due to persistence in the environment and long-

range transport (Singh et.al, 2002). In India, the concentration of these pesticides have been

detected in almost all segments of environment due to their extensive use in past, which have

shown potential to biomagnified/accumulate in animal tissue, human blood, adipose tissue

and breast milk (Beg et.al, 1989). Since the pesticides are lipid soluble in nature, cumulative

accumulation of low concentration of these in the body fat of mammals might pose potential

hazards in long run (Metcaf, 1997).

In India, River Ganges originates from the source glacier Gangotri in northern India

extending to a length of 2525 Km and basin area over 1 million Km2 and is considered as the

sacred river of India. River Ganges alone sustains 114 cities in basin populated by over 400

million people. River Ganges, once valued for her absolute purity, has become a site for

environment catastrophe in last hundred years. Poor sanitation untreated urban sewage,

improper waste management by industries and disposal of solid corpses along its banks have

led to severe environmental stress. Nearly, all sewage from these populations goes directly in

to the river, totaling over 1.3 billion liters a day. Further 260 million liters of industrial wastes,

runoff from 6 million tons of fertilizers and 9000 tons of pesticides used in agriculture within

the basin enters in to the river (Singh et.al, 2004). The government has released effort like

Ganga Action Plan to protect the Ganges environment, and there are few reports regarding

the residue analysis of conservative pesticides in biota from marine environment (Kannan and

Sen Gupta, 1987; Shailaja and Nair, 1997; Shailaja and Singbal, 1994; Ramesh et.al, 1990;

Rajendran et.al, 1992). However no information is available on the levels of various

pesticides residues in water and sediment of river Ganga at Bhagalpur stretch in Bihar.

The city of Bhagalpur (85°59’E longitude and 25°15’N latitude) is located on the southern

bank of river Ganga with an elevation of 172 feet from the mean sea level. Bhagalpur, the

silk city, receive about 5 mega gallons of untreated waste water per day including effluents

from urban settlement, dying industry, leather shoes and slippers manufacturing units,

hospital and pathological laboratories etc. Besides, most of the residents in the neighboring

villages of Bhagalpur city are farmers and their livelihood depends on their agricultural

produce.




The objective of research was to carry out a systemic study on identification and

quantification of selected pesticides residues in both water and sediment of river Ganga. The

results obtained from this study are presented in this paper.

2. Materials and methods

2.1. Study area

The study area included the gangetic stretch in Bhagalpur starting from Champanala

Nathnagar to Burning ghat Barari. (Figure 1 and 2).

Figure 1: Satellite imagery of river Ganga in Nathnagar-Bhagalpur stretch (Bihar)

Figure 2: Research sites along the southern bank of river Ganga, and its tributary

River Jamania




A total of three sampling locations were selected on the Southern bank of Jamania river

channel and Ganga depending upon the presumed water quality and extent of pollution. They

were Champanala (site I, upstream), Mond ghat (site II, midstream) and Burning ghat (Site

III, downstream).

2.2. Sample collection

The water as well as soil of the river was collected in sterilized plastic container. Duplicate

samples for pesticide measurement were collected from each sampling location. The

containers were carefully filled just to overflowing, without passing air bubbles through

sample or trapping air bubbles in sealed container. Preparation of the containers included

washing with detergent rinsing with tap water and air-drying. The collected samples were

preserved in an icebox and transported to laboratory as early as possible for analysis. After

transportation to the laboratory, samples were stored at -20°C and extraction was normally

done within 48 hours. Sampling was carried out for two years on seasonal basis for the period

of January 2007 to December 2008.Samples were analyzed in Pesticide and Toxicology

Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Delhi University, Delhi.

2.3. Chemicals and instrumentation

The solvents used for extraction i.e. diethyl ether and hexane were obtained from Merck.

Standards of insecticides and their metabolites of 99 percent purity were obtained from

Aldrich Chemicals Germany.

GC- ECD Condition

The pesticide residues were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) supported by electron

capture detector (ECD). The laboratory used Varian GLC with ECD Model No. 6800.

Nitrogen was used as the carrier gas and makeup gas and the injection technique was in the

split mode .The GC conditions used are furnished in Table 1. The retention times obtained for

the various pesticides residues are given in Table 2 and Figure 3.

Table 1: Column specification and operating condition of Gas Chromatograph

Detector Electron Capture Detector (ECD)

Column specification 30m x 0.25m x 0.25µ

Cpsil – 5 – CB

Injection port temperature 280oC

Detector temperature 300oC

Column Programming 170oC hold for 2 min @ 3

oC/min

210oC hold for 0 min @ 30

oC/min

270oC hold for 2 min

Total retention time 20.33 min

Carrier gas N2 flow

Split ratio 9 : 1

Carrier gas flow rate 2 ml/min

Back up flow 27 ml/min

Injection volume 2 µl

Total volume of sample

Water – 2 ml.

Soil – 5 ml.




Table 2: Retention Time for the pesticides analyzed by the Gas Chromatograph

Pesticides Retention Time (R.T) (in min.)

1 Lindane 3.53

2 Methyl-Parathion 4.64

3 �-Endosulfan 8.77

4 �-Endosulfan 10.57

5 o, p’ - DDT 11.72

6 p, p’ - DDT 13.18

Figure 3: Chromatogram showing retention time for six different Pesticides (Organochlorine

and Organophosphate)

Analytical procedure

Liquid-liquid extraction followed by gas chromatographic detector (APHA, 2005) and

(USEPA, 1989) with some modification was used for the determination of pesticide residues.

1 liter of water sample was filtered using 0.45-µm whatman glass fiber filter paper (washed in

acetone and dried in oven overnight). To this 50 ml of phosphate buffer was added and pH

was maintained to 7. Now mixture of diethyl ether and hexane in the ratio of 1:1 was taken in

a 2 liter separating funnel, and 1 liter of water sample mixed with phosphate buffer was

added to it and was shaked vigorously. The layers were allowed to settle down and pass

through separating funnel and collected. The extraction was repeated thrice and the solution




obtained was filtered with a pinch of sodium sulfate. The combined extract were filtered and

concentrated in a vacuorotary evaporator. The solution thus obtained was filtered with a

pinch of sodium sulphate and made up to 5 ml with hexane.

The soil sample was air dried then ground with pestle-mortar and sieved through 20-mesh

sieve. About 15 gm of soil was taken and 20 ml of hexane washed water was added and kept

for 30 min. to allow the samples to swell in water. The sample was extracted with 150 ml of

acetone for 1 hour on a mechanical shaker. The combined supernatant was transferred in to a

separatory funnel containing 200 ml of hexane and 700 ml of hexane washed water, and the

funnel was thoroughly shaken. The extract was collected from water and passed through

anhydrous sodium sulphate and concentrated in rotary evaporator the extract was filtered and

made up to 5 ml with hexane. The sample (both water and sediment) thus prepared was

injected and analyzed. The pesticides standards (99.9%) purity was supplied from Aldrich

Chemicals Germany. Using standard samples containing known amounts of pesticides,

accuracy of the determinations was routinely checked. All analysis were carried out in

duplicate and recoveries of individual pesticides were determined through spiked sample

method, which were found between 98-99.5%.Recovery correction factors were applied to

the final results. The results obtained for the various water and sediment samples are

presented in tables 3 to 4 and figure 4 and 5.

Table 3: Seasonal Pesticides Concentration in Ganga river water at Champanala (Site I),

Mond ghat (Site II) and Burning ghat (Site III) at Bhagalpur

Sites Seasons Lindane Methyl

Parathion

α-Endo

sulfan

β-Endo

sulfan

T-

Endo

Sulfan

o,p’-

DDT

p,p’-

DDT

T-DDT

Summer BDL ND 168.09 ND 168.09 ND ND ND

Monsoon BDL ND BDL BDL BDL 78.22 ND 78.22

Winter BDL ND 108.02 BDL 108.02 56.78 ND 56.78

Summer BDL ND 130 ND 130 ND ND ND

Monsoon ND ND BDL BDL BDL 489.00 ND 489.0

Sites

I

Winter ND ND 140.08 BDL 140.08 489.00 ND 489.0

Summer BDL ND BDL 125.09 125.09 ND ND ND

Monsoon 74.04 ND 512.11 BDL BDL ND ND ND

Winter BDL ND 208.09 ND 208.09 ND ND ND

Summer ND ND BDL 157.30 157.30 ND ND ND

Monsoon 48.30 ND 739 ND 739 ND ND ND

Sites

II

Winter BDL ND 739 ND 739 ND ND ND

Summer BDL ND 145 ND 145 ND ND 145

Monsoon ND ND BDL BDL BDL 100.0 112.0 212.0

Winter ND ND 129.08 BDL 129.08 125.0 BDL 125

Summer BDL ND BDL BDL BDL ND ND ND

Monsoon BDL ND BDL BDL BDL BDL ND ND

Sites

III

Winter BDL ND BDL BDL BDL BDL ND ND




BDL = Below detection limit, ND = Not detected, Detectable limit: Lindane = 1.00, Me.

Parathion = 10.00, α-Endosulfan and β-Endosulfan = 10.00, o, p’-DDT and p, p’-DDT = 1.00.

All values in nanogram/ litre = ngl-1

(Analysis done at Pesticide in Toxicology Laboratory,

Dept. of Zoology, Delhi Univ., Delhi, using Varian GLC with ECD, Model No. 6800).

Table 4: Seasonal Pesticides Concentration in Ganga River Sediment at Champanala

(Site I), Mond ghat (Site II) and Burning ghat (Site III) at Bhagalpur

Seasons Lindane Methyl

Parathion

α-Endo

sulfan

β-Endo

sulfan

T-Endo

sulfan

o,p’-

DDT

p,p’-

DDT

T-DDT

Summer 18.97 360.03 48.96 139.00 187.96 BDL 32.22 32.22

Monsoon 23.75 163.13 47.76 89.72 137.48 35.15 8.85 44.00

Winter 21.71 181.83 43.10 108.67 151.77 29.19 BDL 29.19

Summer 90.72 458.02 47.03 170.62 217.65 29.60 35.42 65.0

Monsoon 20.38 164.52 41.58 76.12 117.7 ND 264.18 264.18

Winter 19.60 229.42 45.41 108.67 154.08 34.86 16.14 51.0

Summer 58.39 344.49 35.58 43.20 78.78 184.77 85.48 270.25

Monsoon 33.88 440.56 44.93 288.81 333.74 437.83 193.75 631.58

Winter 37.97 328.18 37.82 166.43 204.25 227.82 BDL 227.82

Summer 46.40 372.16 37.09 34.40 73.49 152.20 104.74 256.94

Monsoon 30.90 447.60 44.91 245.23 290.40 535.40 25.52 560.92

Winter 38.53 333.28 38.51 190.73 229.24 241.28 179.24 420.52

Summer 18.89 82.93 35.58 303.09 338.67 N.D 431.42 431.42

Monsoon 44.14 170.51 38.51 43.43 81.94 N.D 501.97 501.97

Winter 28.78 125.13 37.32 264.13 301.45 BDL 187.46 187.46

Summer 25.10 100.56 50.47 274.00 324.47 2324.70 728.39 3053.09

Monsoon 392.60 186.50 44.35 54.82 99.17 3329.30 874.10 420.34

Winter 31.68 133.59 42.70 82.41 125.11 2438.96 664.01 3102.97

BDL = Below detection limit, ND = Not detected, Detectable limit: Lindane = 1.00, Me.

Parathion = 10.00, α-Endosulfan and β-Endosulfan = 10.00, o, p’-DDT and p, p’-DDT = 1.00.

All values in nanogram/gram = ng g-1

.

(Analysis done at Pesticide in Toxicology Laboratory, Dept. of Zoology, Delhi Univ., Delhi,

using Varian GLC with ECD, Model No. 6800).




Figure 4: Range of Concentration of Pesticide at Various Sites in Water of River Ganga

Figure 5: Range of Concentration of Pesticide at Various Sites in Sediment of River Ganga

3. Results and discussion

It is well known that most of the applied pesticides are subject to many transport and

conversion products. Thus they do not remain at their target site but often enter aquatic

environment via soil percolation, air drift or surface runoff affecting abundance and diversity

of non-target species producing complex effect on the ecosystems and altering tropics

interactions (Rand et.al, 1995).

The results of the analysis of the water and soil samples from river Ganga at Bhagalpur have

shown the presence of both organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides. The compounds

detected were Lindane, Methyl-parathion, Endosulfan (the isomers alpha and beta

endosulfan), and DDT (the isomers orthopara and para-para DDT).




Concentration of organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides (Lindane, Endosulfan and

its isomers and DDT and its metabolites) in water and sediment of the Ganga river, during

different season of study period are summarized in Table 3 to 4 and Figure 4 & 5. In Ganga

river, no seasonal as well as site trend was observed in the distribution of pesticides. It was

invariably higher at site II in river water and site III in river sediment. Some physico-

chemical parameters viz. pH has direct influence on the solubility of these pesticides in river

water of Ganga.

The discharge of agro-chemicals from flood plains, agricultural fields through agricultural

run off might have contributed to the elevated pesticide concentration at site II. The increased

concentration of DDT at site III in sediment and water of river might be due to discharge of

medical wastes from JLNM College Hospitals, which is channelized directly in to the river

near Kali Ghat. Hospitals use DDT for public health activities. It has also been reported that

though DDT is banned but is a part of many organochlorine insecticides, which are not

banned. The presence of DDT in high concentration might be attributed to slow degradation

of DDT resulting in environmental persistence (Kim et.al, 2007).

Lindane is an organochlorine also known as BHC and HCH. The solubility of lindane in

water is 10 mgl-1

and reported half-life is of 18 hours. The concentration of lindane in river

water and sediments was low as compared to other pesticides studied. The concentration of

lindane in river water ranged from ND to 74.04 ngl-1

, and in river sediment from 18.97 to

392.60 ng g-1

. The concentration of lindane in sediment was high as compared to river water.

The findings of the present study for river water is in accordance with the findings of

(Sankaramakrishnan et.al, 2005), (Rehana et.al, 1996) (Sinha et.al, 2001) and (CPCB, 1999 –

2005) and for river sediment it can be compared to the works of (Ghosh et.al, 2000),

(Agnihotri et.al, 1996), (Singh et.al, 2004), (Rajendran et al, 2005) and (CPCB, 1999 – 2005).

WHO classifies lindane as “Moderately Hazardous” pesticide. The USEPA (2005) has

determinated that lindane does not contaminate drinking water in excess of the Agency’s

level of concern. However exposure to large amount of lindane can negatively affect the

nervous system producing a range of symptoms from headaches and dizziness to convulsions

and more rarely death (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 2005). The order

of the concentration of lindane at different sites in river was: site II > site I = site III, where as

in river sediment it was: site III > site II = Site I.

Methyl parathion is an organophosphate and is used extensively in agriculture and pest

control programs. It has a solubility of 24 mgl-1

with a half-life of 10 days to 2 months.

Methyl parathion was absent in Ganga river water during the entire study period. However

higher concentration was reported in river sediments. Its value ranged from 82.93 to 458.02

ng g-1

. This might be due to low solubility of these pesticides in water. A survey to the local

market of this area shows that methyl parathion is extensively used in these areas in various

trade names viz. Metacil liquid 50, Folidol, Dhanudol etc. This might be the reason for

presence of high concentration of methyl parathion at site II as there are extensive

agricultural activities on the riverbanks of site II. The present result is in accordance with the

results of (Sankaramakrishnan et.al, 2005), (Rehana et.al, 1996), (Aleem and Malik, 2004)

who reported either absence of methyl parathion in river water or present in very low

concentration. Data are scanty on the distribution of methyl parathion in river sediments;

however few researchers have reported low concentration of methyl parathion in the sediment

of river Ganga. Methyl parathion being an organophosphate is very toxic for mammals as

well as aquatic organisms. In mammals, methyl parathion is a nerve toxin and damages the




central nervous system where as in fishes it causes deformation. The order of concentration

of methyl parathion in river sediment was: site II > site I > Site III.

Endosulfan is an organochlorine and highly toxic pesticide in EPA toxicity. The solubility of

endosulfan is 0.3 mgl-1

with a half-life of 50 days in soil and 5 weeks in water but β isomer

has longer half-life i.e. 150 days under neutral conditions. Though endosulfan is banned in

many countries but it is extensively used in India, especially in these areas with a trade name

of Endocel excel, Endofil 45, Endum etc. In the present study, T. Endosulfan ranged from

BDL to 739 ngl-1

in river sediments. High concentration of endosulfan was present both in

water as well as in sediment of the river. α- Endosulfan was higher in water, the

concentration varying from BDL to 739 ngl-1

in river water and from 35.5 to 50.47 ng g-1

in

river sediment, whereas β Endosulfan was in the range of ND to 157.30 ngl-1

in river water

and 34.40 to 303.09 ng g-1

in river sediment. The high concentration of α Endosulfan in water

and β Endosulfan in river sediment might be explained as α and β Endosulfan are

conformational isomers and can be interconnected without breaking bonds. T-Endosulfan

was maximum at site II both in water and sediment. This might be due to extensive use of

these pesticides in agricultural activities on the riverbanks of site II, and being an

organochlorine it has also a tendency to accumulate in the river sediments. The findings of

the present study is in accordance with the findings of (Sinha et.al, 2001), (Agnitotri et.al,

1996), (Haldar et.al, 1987), (CPCB, 1999 – 2005) etc in river water, and in river sediment it

can be compared with the findings of (Ghosh et.al, 2000), (Agnihotri et.al, 1996), (Singh et.al,

2000) and (CPCB, 1999 – 2005). A local survey of the market of this area reveals that

endosulfan is extensively used by the farmers of this region, which might be a reason for

presence of endosulfan in such a high concentration. Endosulfan is one of the most toxic

pesticides, responsible for many fatal pesticides poisoning incidents. Endosulfan is a

xenoestrogen an endocrine disruptor, causing reproductive and developmental damage in

animals and humans. It is a neurotoxic in insects and mammals. Endosulfan is highly toxic

for aquatic organisms and has bioaccumulating effect especially in fish. The order of

concentration of T. Endosulfan in river water was: site II > site I > site III where as in river

sediment it was: site II > site III > site I.

DDT is an organochlorine insecticide nearly insoluble in water with a half-life of 2–15 years

and is immobile in most soils. It is a persistent organic pollutant. DDT along with its isomer o,

p’ and p, p’-DDT were present in higher concentration in the sediment of river Ganga.

However, o, p’-DDT concentration was relatively higher than p, p’-DDT in water and

sediments of river Ganga. This might be attributed to easy metabolization of DDT to its

metabolites, which are more stable and persistent than parent molecules of DDT (Bossi et.al,

1992). DDT was present at all the sites in river sediment and at sites I and III in river water

during the study period. Compared to other sites, its value was slightly higher at site I but in a

low concentration. This might be due to its low solubility in water. In the present study, the

T-DDT content ranged from ND to 489 ngl-1

in river water and 29.19 to 4203.4 ng g-1

in

sediment. The concentration of T-DDT in river sediment was maximum at site III, probably

due to affinity of these compounds to particulate matter, river and marine sediments, which is

thought to be the major sinks for them (Doong et.al, 2002). It also indicates about different

sources of contamination as well as slow degradation resulting in environmental persistence

of these compounds (Kim et.al, 2007). The present result, with reference to river water, is in

accordance with the findings of (Rehana et.al, 1996), (Nayak et.al, 1995), (Kole et al: 2005),

(Sinha et.al, 2001), (Ghosh et.al, 2000), (Agnihotri et.al, 1994), (Haldar et.al, and (CPCB,

1999 – 2005). The higher concentration of T-DDT in river sediment is in accordance with the

results of (Agnihotri et.al, 1996), (Singh et.al, 2004) (Ghosh et.al, 2000) and (CPCB, 1999 –




2005). The present result indicates that there is predominant use of DDT in the study area,

which as agricultural runoff or surface run off contributes to a heavy load of pesticide

pollution in water as well as in sediment (ISGE, 1990).

DDT and its metabolic products magnify through the food chain and stored mainly in the

body fat. DDT is classified as “moderately toxic” by US National Toxicological Program and

“moderately hazardous” by WHO. DDT is highly toxic to aquatic life especially fishes as it

can bioaccumalate leading to long-term exposure to high concentrations. In human beings,

the higher concentration of DDT leads to neuropsychological and psychiatric symptoms. The

order of concentration of T-DDT obtained in river water was: site I > site III, whereas T-DDT

was either not detected or below detection limit at site II during the study period. In the river

sediment, the order of concentration was: site III > site II > site I.

From the above discussion, it is obvious that the order of the concentration of these pesticides

in water and sediment of river Ganga varied from site to site, and from one location to

another location, with vegetable growing areas having higher concentrations of endosulfan

and lindane (site II), where as location near maize growing areas contaminated with DDT and

its metabolites (site III). At many sites higher concentration of these pesticides were found,

indicating that they may present a hazard for riverine ecosystem. The analysis of the results

revealed that neither temporal, nor spatial distribution pattern was found, perhaps due to the

presence of multiple and aleatory sources. Ganga River receives intermittent inputs of

organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides along with their isomers, which are the main

contributors to the pesticide pollution of the Ganga River. The presence of DDT metabolites

and BHC in the river indicates continuous use of DDT in the catchments. It is noted that

though these pesticides are banned in other countries but DDT and BHC are in restricted use

in India (UNEP, 2003).

Thus we can say that a using pesticide effectively while maintaing water quality presents an

important challenge and is need of the hour. As citizens, we must recognize the significant

role of pesticides in maintaining a high quality of life. We must acknowledge that the

effective production of food and fiber relies on pesticides to control weeds, insects and plant

diseases that interfere with the growth, harvest and marketability of crops, and also

acknowledge the importance of pesticides in controlling pests in our homes, restaurants,

hospitals, parks, ornamental plantings, golf course etc. but at the same time we must be aware

that pesticides application can affect water quality of both surface and ground water sources.

Human and environmental health may be threatened when excessive concentration of

pesticides enters surface or ground water.

4. Conclusions

Thus we can conclude that the Ganga River gets seriously polluted due to discharge of toxic

heavy metals and pesticides from the point and non point sources. As these toxic substances

do not degrade, they remain persistent in the environment, and also have the ability to

bioaccumulate in the food chain, which might pose potential hazards in long run. Although

the toxicity of these elements have been discussed and could itself become a research topic.

The present study was first known analysis of Organochlorine (OCPs) and Organophosphates

(OPPs) pesticides distribution in water and sediments of river Ganga. The water as well as

sediment of river Ganga is polluted by these OCPs and OPPs. A relatively high level of these

compounds was observed in most study areas. Most of the organochlorines pesticides found

in this study were officially banned, but they were still detected in river water as well as




sediments in this area. Regular monitoring and strict law enforcement is needed to develop a

strategy to manage the environmental hazards due to these elements and to improve

environmental protection of this area. Further it is also suggested that in the present study

only 4 pesticides along with the isomers of DDT and Endosulfan was selected for the study

but the work of various author on Ganga reveals that there exists a variety of organochlorines

and organophosphate pesticide residue and various other toxic trace metals in the water as

well as sediment of Ganga river, which have potential health risks to drinking water

consumers and organism in Ganga river basin. Further work is needed to determine the

bioaccumulation of these toxic elements in the food web and the associated risks to the

ecosystem and human health.

Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to Department of Zoology, University of Delhi and ICAR, Pusa road

New Delhi for providing laboratory as well as library facilities. Valuable scientific inputs by

Dr. D.K.Singh and Dr. Irani Mukherjee are gratefully acknowledged.

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