Atmospheric burden of organochlorine pesticides in Ghana

• A nationwide monitoring of atmospheric OCPs was conducted in Ghana.
• DDT and its metabolites and endusulfans constituted the highest burden of OCPs.
• There were recent signatures of DDT, endosulfans and heptachlor at some sites.
• OCPs varied spatially as a function of crop types, legacy issues and recent applications.

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are subject to the Stockholm Convention on POPs and have been banned or restricted globally. In Ghana, concerns of illicit applications of some OCPs have been raised in recent times. Applying polyurethane foam (PUF) disk passive air samplers (PAS), the levels of OCPs in the atmosphere and their spatial resolution were investigated. It was the first nationwide coverage of OCPs monitoring in Ghana. ∑DDTs and endusulfans constituted the highest burden of atmospheric OCPs in Ghana, at average concentrations of 156 ± 36 and 153 ± 28 pg m−3, respectively. Mirex had the lowest concentration (0.2 ± 0.01 pg m−3). From the chemical signatures of the various OCPs, we deduced that DDT, endosulfans and heptachlor were freshly applied at certain sites, which were all agricultural sites. The OCPs were spatially resolved as a function of the types of crops cultivated in different areas, legacy issues and recent applications.