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cje ›› 2011, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (01): 12-17.

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Distribution and biotransformation of DDTs and HCHs in Hemifusus tuba from the southern Pearl River Estuary.

TIAN Lei 1,2, ZHANG Da-wen1, HUANG Xiao-ping1**   

  1. 1Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Environment Dynamics, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China;2Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • Online:2011-01-08 Published:2011-01-08

Abstract: Based on the measurements of DDTs and HCHs concentrations in various tissues of Hemifusus tuba from the southern Pearl River Estuary, the distribution and biotransformation of the two organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in this marine gastropod were examined. The DDTs and HCHs concentrations in H. tuba intestine were much higher than those in other tissues, suggesting that the intestinal wall of H. tuba was an important barrier to DDTs and HCHs. The higher DDTs and HCHs concentrations in H. tuba gonad suggested that the gonad was an important site for the accumulation of DDTs and HCHs. The (DDE+DDD)/p,p′-′DDT ratio in various H. tuba tissues (3.20-7.53) was much higher than that in sediment (123), indicating that H. tuba had stronger capability to metabolize DDT. The highest (DDE+DDD)/p,p′′-DDT ratio was found in gill, suggesting that gill could play an important role in excreting the DDT metabolites (DDD and DDE) in H. tuba. Among the HCHs in all H. tuba tissues, β-HCH was the most persistent HCH isomer (63.88%-88.99%), implying that H. tuba was able to efficiently degrade α-HCH to β-HCH. Though the DDTs and HCHs concentrations in H. tuba muscles did not exceed the tolerable daily intake standard proposed by the WHO, more attention should be paid to the potential risks of OCPs biomagnification along food chain to human health.

Key words: East China Sea, Prorocentrum dentatum, Red tide