Organochlorinated compounds in Caspian Sea sediments

Abstract

Several organochlorinated contaminants, including numerous pesticides, were determined in coastal sediments from the Caspian Sea. The most important contaminants were p,p'-DDT (up to 7400 pg g(-1)) and its breakdown products, p,p'-DDD (up to 3400 pg g(-1)) and p,p'-DDE (up to 1300 pg g(-1)). Although the contamination was most severe in Azerbaijan, the sediment concentrations and percentage distribution of the three DDT-related compounds indicated that such contamination constitutes a contemporary and ubiquitous problem in the Caspian Sea. Lindane represented the second most significant contaminant, particularly in the Russian Federation, with concentrations up to 609 pg g(-1). The concentrations of HCB and other chlorinated pesticides (cis- and trans-chlordane, methoxychlor, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, aldrin, endrin, and endosulfans) were lower and not generally of concern, but the pesticides did demonstrate markedly different distributions reflecting differing agricultural usage in the region. The concentrations of Sigma PCBs were also quite low and ranged from 0.03 to 6.4 ng g(-1), with the highest amounts in the Russian Federation and Azerbaijan.