Atmospheric burden of organochlorine pesticides in Ghana

J N Hogarh; N Seike; Y Kobara; G K Ofosu-Budu; D Carboo; S Masunaga

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.10.019

Atmospheric burden of organochlorine pesticides in Ghana

Chemosphere. 2014 May:102:1-5. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.10.019. Epub 2013 Nov 5.

Authors

J N Hogarh¹, N Seike², Y Kobara², G K Ofosu-Budu³, D Carboo⁴, S Masunaga⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Science, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana; Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University, 79-7 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 240-8501, Japan. Electronic address: jhogarh@gmail.com.
² National Institute of Agro-Environmental Sciences, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8604, Japan.
³ University of Ghana Agricultural Research Centre - Kade, College of Agricultural and Consumer Sciences, Legon, Ghana.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, University of Ghana, P.O. Box 56, Legon, Ghana.
⁵ Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University, 79-7 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 240-8501, Japan.

PMID: 24210596
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.10.019

Abstract

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are subject to the Stockholm Convention on POPs and have been banned or restricted globally. In Ghana, concerns of illicit applications of some OCPs have been raised in recent times. Applying polyurethane foam (PUF) disk passive air samplers (PAS), the levels of OCPs in the atmosphere and their spatial resolution were investigated. It was the first nationwide coverage of OCPs monitoring in Ghana. ∑DDTs and endusulfans constituted the highest burden of atmospheric OCPs in Ghana, at average concentrations of 156±36 and 153±28 pg m(-3), respectively. Mirex had the lowest concentration (0.2±0.01 pg m(-3)). From the chemical signatures of the various OCPs, we deduced that DDT, endosulfans and heptachlor were freshly applied at certain sites, which were all agricultural sites. The OCPs were spatially resolved as a function of the types of crops cultivated in different areas, legacy issues and recent applications.

Keywords: Agriculture; Ghana; POPs; Passive air sampling.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Air / analysis
Air Pollutants / analysis*
Atmosphere
DDT / analysis
Endosulfan / analysis
Environmental Monitoring
Ghana
Heptachlor / analysis
Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / analysis*
Pesticides / analysis*

Substances

Air Pollutants
Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated
Pesticides
Heptachlor
DDT
Endosulfan