DDT, lindane and endrin in some agricultural soils in Finland

Authors

• Jorma Rautapää Agricultural Research Centre, Department of Pest Investigation, Tikkurila, Finland
• Hilkka Siltanen State Institute of Agricultural Chemistry, Helsinki, Finland
• Anna-Liisa Valta State Institute of Agricultural Chemistry, Helsinki, Finland
• Veijo Mattinen State Institute of Agricultural Chemistry, Helsinki, Finland

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.71825

Abstract

The residues of DDT and lindane were determined from 21 sugarbeet fields, and endrin was determined from the soil of 4 gardens. Previously, DDT and lindane have been used widely against sugarbeet pests, and endrin is used to control voles in gardens. The DDT-content (o,p’DDT + p,p’DDT + DDE) of soil samples was in average 0.73 ppm (minimum 0, maximum 2.35 ppm). The amount of DDE was about 5 % of the joint total of o,p’DDT and p,p’DDT. About 21 % (minimum 2 %, maximum 65 %) of the total amount of DDT applied to the field had remained at the time of taking samples. The average lindane content of the soil was 0.08 ppm (minimum 0.008, maximum 0.8 ppm). Of the amount of lindane, which was known to have been applied to the soil, 5—100 % had remained. The average endrin content of samples was 0.12 ppm (minimum 0, maximum 0.25 ppm). From the total amount of endrin applied to the area, 0—55 % was left.