ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDES (OCPS) IN COASTAL MARINE ENVIRONMENTS: LEVELS, FATE, BEHAVIOR, AND EFFECTS ON BIOTA

GIRONES, LAUTARO; PALACIOS, PILAR; OLIVA, ANA L.; J.E.MARCOVECCHIO; ANDRÉS H. ARIAS

Marine Environments: Diversity, Threats and Conservation

Nova Science

Lugar: New York; Año: 2020; p. 5 - 50

Pesticides have been extensibility used in the control ofagricultural and sanitary pests. From World War II onward, more efficient andcheaper synthetic pesticides, such as organochlorine pesticides (OCPs),including DDT, lindane, or endosulfan, replaced the relatively environmentallyfriendly pesticides. OCPs were widely used worldwide; however, in the 1970sthese compounds were began banned due to their harmful effects on both, biotaand humans. Nevertheless, half a century later, due to their high persistenceand the existence of some active sources, OCPs remain a problem for the healthof marine ecosystems.Once in the environment, their distribution depends on theinteraction of several factors -explained in detail in this chapter- such asthe physical-chemical properties of each compound; interactions with thematrix; characteristics of the environment; and intensity, distance, andseasonality of the source, between others.This chapter reviews current levels, environmental behaviorand fate, and effects on biota of organochlorine pesticides in global marinecoastal environments, noting that these compounds are still detectable andcould be harmful to marine biota.