CURRENT STATUS OF CONTAMINATION BY PERSISTENT ORGANOCHLORINES IN THE LOWER CHAO-PHRAYA RIVER, THAILAND

Water and sediment samples collected from the lower Chao Phraya River and a canal along the river during 1988 - 1991 were analyzed to determine the current status of contamination by organochlorine pesticides, such as HCHs, DDTs, aldrin, dieldrin and chlordanes. Aldrin and dieldrin had high frequencies of occurrence in water samples. The medians of concentrations of these pesticides were approximately one order of magnitude larger than total HCHs and total DDTs. Residue levels of these pesticides varied significantly. Relatively higher levels of aldrin were observed in the upstream; in contrast, residue levels of DDTs were higher in urban area. These phenomena seem to relate to the spraying purpose of these pesticides. Decreasing trends in the residue levels of pesticides during monitoring periods, however, were not observed clearly. Residue levels of organochlorines in the sediment samples were in the order of magnitude of PCBs, DDTs, chlordanes and HCHs.