Leaf–air transfer of organochlorine pesticides from three selected vegetables

The leaf–air transfer of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in three kinds of vegetables, namely lettuce, romaine and garlic leaves was investigated. It was found that although the uptake of OCPs by the three selected vegetables was similar under controlled conditions, the depuration varied significantly among chemicals and plant species in terms of elimination rate, final residue of each OCPs, as well as the effect of temperature on the residue of OCPs in the vegetables. The results indicated that neither QCB nor HCB could be trapped tightly by any of the three selected vegetables, in contrast, p,p′-DDT could be retained effectively by all of them; the retainment of α-HCH, γ-HCH, p,p′-DDE, was dependent on the vegetable species, of which the garlic leaf had the biggest ability to trap them. Our work provided insight into the behavior of OCPs in the agroecosystem.