Journal of Environment and Earth Science www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-3216 (Paper) ISSN 2225-0948 (Online) Vol 1, No.2, 2011 1 | Page www.iiste.org Residues of Pesticides and Herbicides in Soils from Agriculture Areas of Delhi Region, India Kumar Bhupander (corresponding Author) National Reference Trace Organics Laboratory, Central Pollution Control Board, East Arjun Nagar, Delhi- 110032, India Tel: +91-011-43102378, E-mail: bhupander_kumar@yahoo.com Gaur Richa, Goel Gargi, Mishra Meenu, Singh Satish Kumar, Prakash Dev, Kumar Sanjay, and Sharma Chander Sekhar National Reference Trace Organics Laboratory, Central Pollution Control Board, East Arjun Nagar, Delhi- 110032, India Abstract This paper presents the residue levels of organochlorine, organophosphate pesticides and herbicides in agricultural soils from Delhi region. Among OCPs, HCH, DDT endosulphan and dieldrin ranged between <0.01-104.14 ng g -1 , <0.01-15.79 ng g -1 , <0.01-7.57 ng g -1 and <0.01-2.38 ng g -1 , respectively. The concentration of OPPs ranged from <0.01-20.95 ng g -1 , ND-3.92 ng g -1 , ND-31.73 ng g -1 , ND-6.46 ng g -1 and ND-6.46 ng g -1 for phosphomidon, monocrotophos, chlorpyriphos, quinolphos and ethion, respectively. Pendimethalin (0.27 ng g -1 ) was the dominant herbicides followed by butachlor (0.19 ng g -1 ), and fluchloralin (0.05 ng g -1 ). Data showed the region was contaminated by technical DDT and technical HCH mixture. The study reveals that the level of some organochlorine pesticides in agricultural soils is a matter of concern for future food chain accumulation and human health so; regular investigation of pesticide residues is recommended on soil health and contamination levels. Keywords: pesticides, herbicides, agricultural soil, Delhi, India 1. Introduction According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), agricultural lands comprise 50% of all useable land worldwide (FAO 2001). About 60 percent population in India is involved in agricultural sector which contributed to a very important part of Indian economy. Several pesticides including organochlorine, organophosphate, carbamate, fungicides, herbicides and synthetic pyrethroids are used in modern agricultural production to meet the need for abundant, safe and affordable food and fiber. Although the use of pesticides has led to increased agricultural production but, their use has also been associated with several concern, including risk to human health and environment (Ejaz et al. 2004). These compounds have a wide range of both acute and chronic health effects, including cancer, neurological damage, reproductive effects, immune suppression, birth defects, and are also suspected endocrine disruptors (Calvert et al. 2001; Wang et al. 2008). During the last few decades, widespread contamination and toxic effects of organic chemicals have becomes a serious environmental problem. They enter the soil by direct treatment or being washed off from the plant surface during rainfall. Their physico-chemical characteristics, which include hydrophobicity and resistance to degradation, make these chemicals to accumulate in soils and sediments Hong et al. 2008; Hu et al. 2010). Soil and sediments can act as a contributor of organic pollutants to the atmosphere, especially of semi volatile compound in warm climates. The fate of pesticides in soils with different cropping land use has been extensively studied worldwide including India (Pillai 1986; Viet et al. 2000; Om Prakash et al. 2004; Oldal et al. 2006; Shegunova et al. 2007; Senthil Kumar et al. 2009). In India, there are 165 pesticides registered for use and there is a sequential rise in the production and consumption of pesticides during last three decades. India is the fourth largest pesticide producer in the world after the US, Japan and China. During 2003-2004, the domestic production of pesticides was approximately 85 TMT (thousand metric tons), and about 60 TMT used annually (Anonymous 2005), against 182.5 million