Publication details
Cycling of DDT in the global environment 1950 to 2002: World ocean returns the pollutant
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2009 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Geophysical Research Letters |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | |
| Field | Water pollution and control |
| Keywords | DDT; model; ocean pollution |
| Description | The global distribution and fate of the insecticide DDT was modeled for the first time using a spatially resolved global multicompartment chemistry transport model comprising a 3D coupled atmosphere and ocean GCM, coupled to 2D vegetation surfaces and top soils. The global ocean absorbed until 1977 and since then has been losing DDT, while large sea areas are still accumulating the pollutant. The main sink is volatilization to the atmosphere. In 1990, the year when emissions ceased, 292 kt of DDT were deposited to the global ocean, 301 kt were volatilized, and 41 kt were exported from the surface layer to the deeper levels. The sea region that has been representing the most significant (secondary) DDT source is the western N Atlantic (Gulf stream and N Atlantic Drift regions). It has been a source since approximately 1970. |
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