SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF ORGANOCHLORINATED PESTICIDES IN THE BOTTOMSEDIMENTS OF THE NORTHERN CASPIAN
The paper presents the results of studies of contamination by organochlorinated pesticides in bottom sediments of the Russian part of the Caspian Sea, which differ from each other by the processes of organic matter accumulation. The study showed the dependence of the pollutants distribution in bottom sediments not only on their grainsize composition, but also on the intensity of physical and chemical processes in the identified zones, and the predominant role of suspended matter in the transport and accumulation of pollutants in this area. Comparison of the obtained pesticide levels in bottom sediments with the relevant sediment quality standards has shown that the concentrations of DDT and its metabolites in the sediments of the selected areas do not exceed the critical values of the Dutch and Canadian quality standards with the average concentrations of pesticides in the sediments much below the standards