Distribution and ecological risk assessment of HCHs and DDTs in surface seawater and sediment of the mariculture area of Jincheng Bay, China

The distribution of hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) in the surface seawater and sediment of Jincheng Bay mariculture area were investigated in the present study. The concentration of total HCHs and DDTs ranged from 2.98 to 14.87 ng L−1 and were < 0.032 ng L−1, respectively, in surface seawater, and ranged from 5.52 to 9.43 and from 4.11 to 6.72 ng g−1, respectively, in surface sediment. It was deduced from the composition profile of HCH isomers and DDT congeners that HCH residues derived from a mixture of technical-grade HCH and lindane whereas the DDT residues derived from technical-grade DDT and dicofol. Moreover, both HCH and DDT residues may mainly originate from historical inputs. The hazard quotient of α-HCH, β-HCH, γ-HCH and δ-HCH to marine species was 0.030, 0.157, 3.008 and 0.008, respectively. It was estimated that the overall probability of adverse biological effect from HCHs was less than 5%, indicating that its risk to seawater column species was low. The threshold effect concentration exceeding frequency of γ-HCH, p,p′-DDD, p,p′-DDE and p,p′-DDT in sediment ranged from 8.3% to 100%, and the relative concentration of the HCH and DDT mixture exceeded their probable effect level in sediment. These findings indicated that the risk to marine benthos was high and potentially detrimental to the safety of aquatic products, e.g., sea cucumber and benthic shellfish.