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Thesis
DDT CONCENTRATIONS IN SOILS IN SPRAYED AND UNSPRAYED AREAS OF TWO TOWNS IN SOUTHERN BELIZE
University of West Florida
Master of Science (MS), University of West Florida
2009
Abstract
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) has been sprayed extensively in Belize to combat malaria. To determine if DDT persists in Belize's soils, 23 composite soil samples were collected from each of the two towns of Dangriga and Punta Gorda. DDT and its breakdown products dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (DDD) were the only organochlorine compounds detected in the soils. Widespread use of DDT ceased in Belize after 1997. Results confirm that DDT is transferred to the soil environment as a result of spraying houses and that this pesticide still persists in soils in southern Belize after more than 10 years of nonuse. Because Belize currently has no guidelines for determining DDT risk to human health and soil cleanup, residential soil cleanup guidelines employed by foreign governmental entities such as The Netherlands and Quebec, and the California Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) show that all detected pesticide concentrations in this study are below mandated concentrations of concern for the residential areas of these regions. However, since exposure scenarios may be different in Belize, it is recommended that the Belize Ministry of Health conducts a risk analysis to ascertain if these pesticide concentrations pose a significant risk to the inhabitants of the studied areas.
Details
- Title
- DDT CONCENTRATIONS IN SOILS IN SPRAYED AND UNSPRAYED AREAS OF TWO TOWNS IN SOUTHERN BELIZE
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Publisher
- University of West Florida
- Format
- text
- Copyright
- http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/
- Identifiers
- 99380090835706600
- Academic Unit
- Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Language
- English
- Awarding Institution
- University of West Florida; Master of Science (MS)
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), University of West Florida