Fate of DDT-related compounds in Bohai Bay and its adjacent Haihe Basin, North China

Concentrations of ten DDTs (2,2-bis-(chlorophenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane) of which p,p′-DDA (2,2-bis(chlorophenyl)acetic acid), p,p′-DDM (bis(chlorophenyl)methane) and p,p′-DBP (dichlorobenzophenone) are often neglected, were measured in 25 water and 25 sedimentary samples from Bohai Bay and its adjacent Haihe Basin. The ratio of o,p′-DDX/p,p′-DDX in the upper reaches of Yongdingxin River ranged from 0.71 to 2.44, suggesting that the potential source of pollution would be the manufacturing or use of dicofol near this river. While DDA accounted for 52–93% of the ∑DDT concentration in water, DDA was only detected in three sedimentary samples. And DDM was found to be an important degradation product of DDT in water following DDA. It should be noted that DBP (0.60–3.30 ng/g) is a major metabolite comparable with DDE (2,2-bis(chlorophenyl)-1,1-dichloroethylene, nondetectable-1.80 ng/g) and DDD (2,2-bis-(chlorophenyl)-1,1-dichloroethane, nondetectable-2.86 ng/g) in sediment in Bohai Bay. Finally, the ∑DDT concentration in sedimentary sample from Bohai Bay was found to be dependant on the TOC (total organic carbon) value.