A multimatrix approach of legacy, current and emergent contaminants in aquatic environments from the Atlantic forest

ONDARZA P.M.; ROLON M.E.; DE LA TORRE F.; SANTILLAND DEIU A.; AVIGLIANO E.; MIGLIORANZA K.S.B.; CAMPANINI M.F.; HADDAD S.P.; BROOKS B.

San Luis

Congreso; VII Congreso Argentino de la Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Latino América; 2018

Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Latino América

Agriculture is one of the main sources of aquatic pollution, due to the concomitant use of agrochemicals. This study reports the occurrence and distribution of legacy and current use pesticides in rainfall, surface water (SW), suspended particle matter, bottom sediments and fish tissues (liver, gills, muscle) from the Misiones province, Argentina. Fish studied involved Rhamdia quelen, Hypostomus fuliginosus, Hoplias lacerdae, Prochilodus lineatus. The current use pesticides (CUPs) chlorpyrifos (CPF), chlorothalonil, trifluraline; and the organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) DDTs, endosulfans, HCHs, heptachlors, chlordanes, were analyzed by GC-ECD. Emerging contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals previously reported in these fish, were used to compare with agricultural pollution. Concentrations are expressed as ng/L, ng/g dry weight (ng/g dw) and ng/g wet weight (ng/g ww). In general, levels of OCPs were higher than those of CUPs, except in sediments. Therefore, OCPs continues being a threat for aquatic biota, despite their forbidden use. DDTs and endosulfans were the principal legacy pesticides, with a metabolite/parental ratios >1. CPF was the main CUPs found in all samples, consistently with its wide use on yerba mate, tobacco, horticulture and soybean productions. Rain samples presented 1 ng/L of CPF and 2.4 ng/L of OCPs (77% represented by a-endosulfan). In SW, CPF and endosulfans showed the highest levels (0.9 and 0.8 ng/L, respectively), which were several times lower than the maximum limits for freshwater biota protection established in Argentina (6 and 7 ng/L, respectively). In sediments, CPF levels (5 ng/g dw) were 50 times higher than OCPs (0.1 ng/g dw), where a-endosulfan and pp´-DDE account 23% and 20%, respectively. In fish tissues, OCPs and CUPs distributions were as follow: liver > gills > muscle. Among legacy pesticides, pp´-DDD (0.7-321 ng/g ww) reached until 98% of DDTs, and endosulfan sulfate (0.4-1.9 ng/g ww) between 20-87% of endosulfans followed by a-endosulfan. In general, a-/b-endosulfan ratios