Organochlorine Pesticides (OCPs) and Heavy Metal Residues in the Sediments of Musi River Basin, Telangana State, Southern India

Abstract:

Globally, both the rapid population growth associated industrialization, and unplanned application of pesticides in the large scale agriculture activities are changing the fate of natural resources especially, local rivers, thus, became a primary environmental concern. The Musi River, traversing through one of the major metropolitan city recognized as the most polluted river in southern India, is the biggest water resource for many hectors of agriculture activities in up and downstream regions. Musi river is ideal location to study the natural and anthropogenic influences. In the present investigation, sediment samples were collected from the Musi River basin covering the rural, urban and suburban sites. The collected sediment samples were extracted by Microwave extraction and analyzed with GC-Ecd and AAS for pesticides and heavy metals respectively. The total concentrations of OCPs were in the range 0.64–42.6 ng/g. Also, the total- dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (ΣDDT), ΣHCH and ΣEndosulfans were in the range 0.31–41.6, 0.31–5.61, and 0.01–6.44 ng/g respectively. Besides, the concentrations of heavy metals in sediments including, Mn, Zn, Co, Cu, K and Cr, ranging from 0.25 to 122 mg/kg in the study area. These residues mainly from Industrial influence, long-range atmospheric transport and weathered agricultural soils may pose the high concentrations of OCPs and heavy metal contamination in Musi catchment.