Organochlorine Pesticides in the Soil in Linfen, China

Ten soil samples collected in Linfen were analyzed for 21 organochlorine pesticides. The concentration of total organochlorine pesticides ranged from 4.3 to 23.2 ng g(-1) in soil from urban areas and from 26.3 to 247.4 ng g(-1) in soil from industrial plants. The highest levels of contamination were observed in northwest and central Linfen, reflecting the distribution of industrial plants. The HCH and DDT profiles revealed that the sources were associated mainly with lindane and technical DDT, respectively, while HCHs in the soil of industrial plants might originate from a new source.