Baseline occurrence of organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides in water, sediment, and fish in the Miankaleh wetland, Iran

Micropollutants such as pesticides and the prediction of water quality in aquatic environments have been known as a serious risk to the environment and human health. The pollution level of six pesticides—three organochlorines (OCPs: aldrin, dieldrin, and endrin) and three organophosphates (OPPs: diazinon, malathion, and azinphosmethyl)— in water, sediment, and fish samples was examined in the Miankaleh wetland, Iran. Water quality, including dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), salinity, electrical conductivity (EC), turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS), pH, temperature, and physicochemical properties of sediments, was analyzed. Low concentrations of OCPs (0.70 ± 0.01 μg/L) and OPPs (1.31 ± 0.1 μg/L) were observed in water. In contrast, OCPs and OPPs were not detected in sediment and fish samples in the Miankaleh wetland. Low concentrations of OCPs and OPPs in water and no pesticide concentrations in sediment and fish samples indicate low contamination of the aquatic environment in Miankaleh. The results of this study could be used as an effective reference for policy makers in the field of water resource management.