Meenu Mishra, Bhupander Kumar, S. K. Singh, Gargi Goel, Richa Gaur, Dev Prakash, Sanjay Kumar and C. S. Sharma
HCH and DDT, the organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were measured in soils from northern Uttar Pradesh, India. The average concentration of HCHs and DDTs was 7.58±1.54 ng g-1 and 0.61±0.21 ng g-1 (dry wt.). Compositional analysis of HCH and DDT isomers was carried out to identify the possible contamination sources. The α/γ ratio of HCH (<0.01 - 8.83) reflects the use of technical as well as lindane formulation. The ratio of p,p’-DDT/p,p’-DDE (0.73) and p,p’- DDT/ΣDDT (0.42) indicates the combined effects of past and ongoing usage of DDT. o,p’- DDT/p,p’-DDT (<0.01) ratio suggest the contamination of soils from technical DDT and not from Dicofol type DDT.