Comparative Study of Organochlorine Pesticide Residues in Water of Both Edko Lake and Fish Farm in El-Behira Governorate, Egypt

Special Article - Pesticides

Austin Environ Sci. 2020; 5(1): 1044.

Comparative Study of Organochlorine Pesticide Residues in Water of Both Edko Lake and Fish Farm in El-Behira Governorate, Egypt

Abbassy MA1*, Khalifa MA2, Nassar AK1, Omar AO2, Salim YM1 and Nour-Eldin EE1

¹Plant Protection Department of Agriculture, Damanhour University, Damanhour, Egypt

²Drug and Food Quality Control Laboratories, Ministry of Health, Kuwait

*Corresponding author: Mostafa A Abbassy, Department of Plant Protection (Division of Pesticide Chemistry and Toxicology), Faculty of Agriculture, Damanhur University, Damanhur, Egypt

Received: April 30, 2020; Accepted: May 19, 2020; Published: May 26, 2020

Abstract

The objective of this study is to determine the residues of Organochlorine Pesticides (OCPs) residues in water of both Edko lake and fish farm in Abu Hummus region at El-Behira Governorate, Egypt. The analytical method included Solid Phase Extraction (SPE), for extraction and clean-up, followed by determination of OCP residues using GC-ECD and GC-ITD. A total of 18 OCPs were analyzed, only five compounds, heptachlorepoxide, p,p-DDE, dieldrin, p,p-DDD and endrin ketone were detected in the water of both Edko lake and fish farm. Their concentrations were 0.2309±0.0404, 1.3524±0.0311, 0.4104±0.0210, 1.2622±0.0218, and 0.1087±0.0212 µg/L, respectively, in water of Edko Lake and 0.3269±0.0221, 2.3479±0.0156, 2.2501±0.1553, 2.3466±0.0537, and 0.3092±0.0156 µg/L, respectively, in water of fish farm. Thus, the concentrations of OCP residues were higher in the water of fish farm than those in the water of Edko lake.

Keywords: Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs); SPE; Edko lake; GC-ECD; GC-ITD

Introduction

Water pollution with pesticides has been very serious problem to aquatic ecosystems because of the damage to aquatic species [1]. The Organochlorine Pesticides (OCPs) were reported as carcinogenic, mutagenic, endocrine-disrupting, persistent, and bio-accumulative chemicals [2]. These pesticides cause significant environmental and health problems due to their bioaccumulation in food chain. Once in aquatic environment, pesticides are absorbed by aquatic organisms and concentrated in trophic food chain thus endangering those organisms [3-6].

More than four decades ago, OCP pesticides were banned worldwide and by the Egyptian authorities because of their longpersistence, lipid solubility, and toxicity to humans and animals but are still in use in some developing countries, even though many new broad-spectrum pesticides have been developed in recent years [7].

Therefore, scientists applied several analytical methods in the extraction of wide range of OC pesticide residues from water. The analysis of pesticide residues depends on the use of sensitive and fast tools. Therefore, gas chromatography coupled with various detectors was proven suitable. The GC-MS has become a standard laboratory instrument that provide qualitative and quantitative results for analytes in a single injection. The most common MS technique uses a very rugged and practical quadrupole design, along with ionization (Electron Impact (EI)) [8]. More importantly, the validation of the analytical method is a requirement in the practice of pesticide residue analysis. Including the specificity, accuracy and precision, at relevant analyte concentrations and in appropriate matrices [9]. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare the levels of organochlorine pesticides in water of both Edko lake and fish farm at El-Behira Governorate, Egypt.

Materials and Methods

Pesticides and reagents

A mixture of certified standard pesticides (2000±0.5 µg/ml) of a-HCH (99.7%), γ-HCH (99.9%), ß-HCH (98.9%), Δ-HCH (99.5%), heptachlor (99.9%), aldrin (98.9%), heptachlorepoxide (99.9%), endosulfan I (99.9%), endosulfan II (99.9%), endosulfan sulfate (99.4%), p,p-DDE (99.2%), p,p-DDT (98.9%), p,p-DDD (96.1%), dieldrin (99.2%), endrin (96.9%), endrin aldehyde (98.4%), endrin ketone (99.5%), and methoxychlor (99.9%) were obtained from SUPLECO company (Bellefonte, PA, USA). Standard solutions of 500ng of each pesticide/ml were prepared in methanol of and stored at -4oC. Working standard solutions were obtained by diluting the stock solutions with methanol.

Solid-phase extraction disk (Sep-Pak Plus) packed with 500mg of C18, Primary Secondary Amine (PSA), sodium sulfate, and magnesium sulfate were obtained from Milford, MA, USA. The solvents ethyl acetate, methylene chloride, methanol, and acetonitrile were of analytical grade and purchased from Merck, Darmstadt, Germany through reputed local suppliers.

Study areas and samples collection

Surface water samples were collected from two major sources at El-Behira Governorate, Egypt: Edko Lake and fish farm at Abu Hummus region (Map 1). The laboratory tap water was sampled as blank. Approximately, 9 samples (1 L each) of surface water were collected in glass bottles fitted with Teflon-lined caps from each location. The water samples were transferred immediately to the laboratory for extraction and analysis.