DDT in biota of Paranaguá bay, southern Brazil: recent input and rapid degradation

Abstract

DDT in Biota of Paranaguá Bay, Southern Brazil: Recent Input and Rapid Degradation Gerd Liebezeit &Daniela Brepohl &Juliane Rizzi & Flavia Guebert &Mats Krome &Eunice Machado & Ursula Pijanowska Received: 20 December 2010 /Accepted: 14 January 2011 /Published online: 1 February 2011 # Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011 Abstract The presence of recent dichlorodiphenyltri-chloroethane (DDT) inputs is established for Paranaguá Bay biota, i.e. bivalves, fish and one sponge. Values ranged from 6.9 to 156.2 ng ΣDDT/g dry weight. Three fish species analysed showed ΣDDT values from 36.8 to 92.1 ng/g dry weight. The highest contents (up to 156.2 ngΣDDT/g dry weight) were found for mangrove oysters (Crassostrea rhizophorae) at locations affected by sewage discharge from Para-naguá City. Turtles as herbivores were not affected by this input with values of 0.7 and 2.2 ngΣDDT/g dry weight. The areal distribution of samples suggests that usage of DDT is widespread around the bay. Fresh DDT input is degraded to DDE and DDD within approximately 5 months.