Organochlorine pesticide residues in agricultural draining water in Tunisia

Abstract

Organochlorines pesticides (OCPs) are persistent organic pollutants known by their persistence, their ability to bioaccumulate in the food chain and by their toxicity. This work aims to analyze pesticides in draining water samples taken from two different regions from Tunisia. A liquid-liquid extraction method proposed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been adopted for the extraction of OCPs from draining water. The analysis of these compounds was carried out with a gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Eight draining water sample was analyzed from the region of Kebili and levels of OCPs ranged between ND and 3.415 ng L⁻¹. Four draining water samples were sampled from the region of Cap Bon and levels of OCPs in draining water varied between 14.955 and 59.305 ng L⁻¹. The concentration of OCPs in draining water didn’t exceed the limits standardized by the regulations for drainage water, which makes possible the reuse of this water for agricultural purposes after having undergone a secondary treatment.

Keywords:

• OCPs
• distribution
• draining water
• Cap Bon
• Kebili
• GC-MS

Acknowledgments

Special thanks were given to anonymous reviewers for their useful suggestions and comments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the ministry of higher education and scientific research, Tunisia.