Environmental impact of agricultural land contamination of organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides, Isfahan metropolis

Use of pesticides is a common practice in agriculture nowadays and indeed most pesticides are overused. Two major groups of pesticides are organochlorin and organophosphorus. In this study 13 surface soil and 10 surface and groundwater samples were collected in winter 1390 and spring 1391 within a radius of 60 Kms from the center of Isfahan metropolis. The measured concentrations of 8 organochlorin and 9 organophosphorus pesticide in the collected water samples indicate that all fall below the maximum recommended level and pose no threat to the environment. However, results from soil samples revealed that among the organochlorides the concentration of DDT metabolites i.e combined DDE and DDD concentration is rather high. The concentration of organophosphorus pesticide in soil depends upon several factors including, degradation half life and the amount of used pesticide. The concentration of residual organophosphor pesticide in soil is above recommended safe values.