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<p>This study presents the first report of pesticidal persistent organic pollutants, particularly organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) contamination, distribution trends, source pathways, and ecotoxicological risks in coral reef sediments of the Lakshadweep Islands. The primary objective was to establish baseline OCP contamination levels in coral reef sediments and understand their environmental implications for the Lakshadweep Islands. Twenty-four OCPs were quantified across four islands, viz., Andrott, Kadmat, Agatti, and Suheli, revealing cumulative ΣOCP concentrations of 2.254&#xa0;µg/kg, with island-specific means decreasing in the order Andrott (0.8786&#xa0;µg/kg) &gt; Kadmat (0.7112&#xa0;µg/kg) &gt; Agatti (0.3638&#xa0;µg/kg) &gt; Suheli (0.3008&#xa0;µg/kg). Hexachlorobenzene (HCB, max 0.2964&#xa0;µg/kg) was the most abundant individual compound, followed by p,p′-DDT (0.115&#xa0;µg/kg) and heptachlor epoxide (0.087&#xa0;µg/kg). The compositional profiles were dominated by ΣDDTs (20.9%) and ΣHCHs (18%), reflecting historical agricultural and vector-control usage. A strong correlation of ΣOCP with TOC (<i>R</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.8965) highlighted organic matter as the principal sink for hydrophobic contaminants. Source diagnostic ratios indicated aged residues, confirming legacy inputs and advanced degradation. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) explained 56.9% of variance, distinguishing Andrott and Kadmat as legacy OCP hotspots and Agatti as well as Suheli as low-level, mixed-contamination zones. Ecological risk evaluation revealed α-HCH (HQ = 150.9) and γ-HCH (HQ = 32.2) as principal contributors to sediment toxicity, underscoring potential threats to coral-associated benthic biota. Overall, the findings exhibit low-to-moderate OCPs contamination with clear island-specific patterns, legacy signatures, and ecotoxicological risks that insist on sustained monitoring and strict pollution management in this sensitive reef ecosystem.</p>

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Pesticidal persistent organic pollutants in remote coral reef sediments of the Lakshadweep archipelago: spatial distribution, source apportionment and ecological risk assessment

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月15日

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  • Dhinesh R.,
  • Kirthiga S. S.,
  • Anu Gopinath,
  • Mahendra R. S.,
  • Prakash Chandra Mohanty,
  • Sudheer Joseph,
  • T. M. Balakrishnan Nair,
  • Harikumar R.,
  • Abdul Raheem

摘要

This study presents the first report of pesticidal persistent organic pollutants, particularly organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) contamination, distribution trends, source pathways, and ecotoxicological risks in coral reef sediments of the Lakshadweep Islands. The primary objective was to establish baseline OCP contamination levels in coral reef sediments and understand their environmental implications for the Lakshadweep Islands. Twenty-four OCPs were quantified across four islands, viz., Andrott, Kadmat, Agatti, and Suheli, revealing cumulative ΣOCP concentrations of 2.254 µg/kg, with island-specific means decreasing in the order Andrott (0.8786 µg/kg) > Kadmat (0.7112 µg/kg) > Agatti (0.3638 µg/kg) > Suheli (0.3008 µg/kg). Hexachlorobenzene (HCB, max 0.2964 µg/kg) was the most abundant individual compound, followed by p,p′-DDT (0.115 µg/kg) and heptachlor epoxide (0.087 µg/kg). The compositional profiles were dominated by ΣDDTs (20.9%) and ΣHCHs (18%), reflecting historical agricultural and vector-control usage. A strong correlation of ΣOCP with TOC (R2 = 0.8965) highlighted organic matter as the principal sink for hydrophobic contaminants. Source diagnostic ratios indicated aged residues, confirming legacy inputs and advanced degradation. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) explained 56.9% of variance, distinguishing Andrott and Kadmat as legacy OCP hotspots and Agatti as well as Suheli as low-level, mixed-contamination zones. Ecological risk evaluation revealed α-HCH (HQ = 150.9) and γ-HCH (HQ = 32.2) as principal contributors to sediment toxicity, underscoring potential threats to coral-associated benthic biota. Overall, the findings exhibit low-to-moderate OCPs contamination with clear island-specific patterns, legacy signatures, and ecotoxicological risks that insist on sustained monitoring and strict pollution management in this sensitive reef ecosystem.