Organochlorine pesticides in ambient air in selected urban and rural residential areas in the Philippines derived from passive samplers with polyurethane disks

Abstract

The passive sampler with PUF disk was applied to investigate the types and concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in ambient air in three urban and rural residential areas simultaneously at different weather conditions in the Philippines. The concentrations of OCPs derived from the passive samplers indicated clear distinctions in the predominance of certain types and amounts of OCPs in air at different sampling sites and periods of sampling. Chlordanes were detected in concentrations ranging from 218 to 2,324 pg/m³ in the urban residential sites in all the sampling periods, indicating the possible use of these pesticides as termiticides in houses. Endosulfans were detected in two rural sites at 491 pg/m³ and 904 pg/m³ during one sampling period; indicating the possible use of the pesticide in the farm areas at that period.