Environ Monit Assess (2010) 160:61–69
DOI 10.1007/s10661-008-0657-z
Pesticide pollution of River Ghaggar in Haryana, India
A. Kaushik · H. R. Sharma · S. Jain ·
J. Dawra · C. P. Kaushik
Received: 16 May 2008 / Accepted: 5 November 2008 / Published online: 24 December 2008
© Springer Science + Business Media B.V. 2008
Abstract Ghaggar, one of the major rivers of
northern India originating in outer Himalayas and
flowing through the state of Punjab, Haryana,
and Rajasthan, is put to multiple uses. Along its
course of 464 km, it receives discharge from var-
ious cities and runoff from agricultural lands.
Punjab and Haryana are two predominantly agri-
cultural states of India using substantial amounts
of agrochemicals, yet there are no reports avail-
able in literature on the level of pesticides in
the stretch of river Ghaggar through Punjab and
Haryana. This is the first report on pesticide pol-
lution of the river Ghaggar in Haryana. Water
samples along the 230-km stretch of the river
in Haryana were analyzed for the presence of
organochlorine insecticide residues. While aldrin
and dieldrin were below detection limits, both
hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and dichloro-
A. Kaushik · H. R. Sharma · S. Jain · J. Dawra ·
C. P. Kaushik (B)
Department of Environmental Science
and Engineering, Guru Jambheshwar University of
Science and Technology, Hisar, 125 001,
Haryana, India
e-mail: cpkaushik@rediffmail.com
Present Address:
H. R. Sharma
Department of Environmental Health, University of
Gondar, P.B. No. 196, Gondar, Ethiopia
diphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) were traceable
in all the water samples. High concentration
of β-HCH among HCH indicates old pollu-
tion source whereas predominance of p,p -DDT
among DDT reflects its recent use in the catch-
ment area of the river. The concentrations of
HCH and DDT in all the samples were above
the permissible limits prescribed by the European
Commission Directive for drinking purposes.
Keywords Organochlorine · Pesticide residues ·
Agrochemicals · Ghaggar · River · Haryana ·
Water pollution
Introduction
Pesticides reach aquatic ecosystems by direct ap-
plication, spray drift, aerial spraying, atmospheric
fallout, soil erosion and runoff from agricul-
tural areas, discharge of industrial and domes-
tic sewage, leaching, careless disposal of empty
containers, and equipment washing. In aquatic
bodies, these pesticides affect many nontarget
organisms including fish and birds due to bio-
magnification through food chains. Occurrence of
organochlorine pesticides in various Indian rivers
like Krishna and Godavari (Reddy et al. 1997),
Hindon (Ali et al. 2008), Gomti and Ganga (Singh
and Singh 2008), and Yamuna (Kaushik et al.
2008) and in the Bay of Bengal (Rajendran et al.
62
2005) has been reported. River Ghaggar, a major
river of northern India, originates from the
Shivalik mountain ranges of outer Himalayas
(900–2,300 m) in Himachal Pradesh between
River Yamuna and Satluj, enters Haryana near
Kalka, and receives most of its water from rain-
fall. Ghaggar–Yamuna alluvium plain has mainly
sand, clay, silt, and hard calcareous balls like
gravel, locally know as kankar. The river flows
alternately through the states of Haryana and
Punjab to Rajasthan where it disappears in the
Thar desert. During its course of flow in Haryana
and Punjab, the river Ghaggar receives domes-
tic and industrial wastes along with agricultural
runoff. Consumption of pesticides in Haryana
and Punjab during the study period (1999–2000)
was 5,030 and 7,100 MT, respectively (Agnihotri
2000). The river water is used for irrigation, drink-
ing by cattle, and occasionally for bathing. During
1996, there were media reports of large-scale fish
mortality that was supposed to be due to dis-
charge of industrial and domestic sewage or runoff
from agricultural fields containing agrochemicals
(The Tribune 1996). Being agriculture-intensive
states, pesticide use in Haryana and Punjab has
been quite high. There is a high probability of
these pesticides finding their way into Ghaggar
along with runoff. Though organochlorine pesti-
cides have already been reported in the water of
Yamuna, another major river of Haryana state
flowing through its eastern border (Agarwal et al.
1986; Kaushik et al. 2008), there are no such re-
ports on river Ghaggar except that by the authors
on physicochemical characteristics (Kaushik et al.
2001) and heavy metals (Kaushik et al. 2000). This
study presents the first report on the magnitude of
contamination of Ghaggar by banned chlorinated
pesticides.
Materials and methods
Sampling stations
Sampling of water was done from a stretch of
approximately 230 km long in the course of river
Ghaggar through Haryana and some parts of
Punjab adjoining Haryana border. At the point of
origin of the river at Chandi Devi Mandir (G-01)
Environ Monit Assess (2010) 160:61–69
near Kalka, there is little anthropogenic activity.
The river after flowing into Punjab for a distance
touches the border of Ambala city in Haryana
near Devigarh (G-03). Being just downstream to
Punjab, effluents from various industries in Patiala
and Rajpura area of Punjab finally find their way
into Ghaggar. Various medium-scale industries in-
cluding pesticide industry, paper industry, refined
oil, and food processing industries are located in
this region. After flowing through Kaithal dis-
trict in Haryana, it again enters Punjab and then
reenters Haryana at Chimmoo (G-05), which is
an agricultural area. At Ratia (G-06), there are
industries like sugar mill, rice mill, and paper
mill. The river once again flows through a part of
Punjab and then flows through Fatehabad district
of Haryana. At downstream Sirsa (G-08), all the
domestic sewage of the city and effluent from
the cotton mill, flour mill, paper mill, cardboard
factory, milk plant, iron works, etc. are discharged
into the river. At Ottu (G-10), the polluted water
of Ghaggar is partly mixed into the canal water
of SGC Jalwara to increase the water flow in this
canal and after Shekhukhera (G-12) it diminishes
in the Thar desert of Rajasthan. The canal water
is used for irrigation purpose.
Sampling and analysis
Sampling of Ghaggar water between Chandi Devi
Mandir to Shekhukhera was done from 12 sites
(Table 1; Fig. 1) in winter season. Water samples
were collected in precleaned, oven-dried, hexane-
rinsed, and amber-colored bottles of 1-L capac-
ity and were sealed with screw caps lined with
aluminum foil. The samples were extracted with
hexane immediately after they were brought to
laboratory by using conventional liquid–liquid ex-
traction method. This method is frequently used
for the determination of organic pollutants in
water (Tan 1992). The 1,000-mL water sample
was extracted with 40 mL of distilled hexane and
2 g of anhydrous sodium sulfate in 2-L separat-
ing funnel and shaken well for 4–5 min. Emul-
sion, if formed, was broken by the addition of
a few drops of concentrated solution of anhy-
drous sodium sulfate–absolute alcohol. The upper
hexane layer was collected in a flat-bottomed flask
and the remaining portion was extracted twice
Environ Monit Assess (2010) 160:61–69 63

Table 1 Site specification of various sampling stations along the route of river Ghaggar in Haryana
Sampling site specification Sampling station Distance from origin
in Haryana (km)
I Panchkula zone Hilly area, three streams G-01 Chandi Devi Mandir 01
meet together
Near highway, G-02 Ramgarh 10
residential area
II Ambala–Kaithal Residential, agricultural, G-03 Devigarh 31
zone industrial area
Agricultural area G-04 Lamba 79
III Fatehabad zone Agricultural area G-05 Chimmoo 116
Industrial area G-06 Ratia 136
(Sugar mill, Rice mill)
IV Sirsa zone Residential area G-07 Bhunder 171
Agricultural area, G-08 Sirsa 184
near highway; residential,
small industrial area
Residential G-09 Ottu 204
Agricultural area G-10 Ottu (mixing) 204
Residential, G-11 Ottu 204
agricultural area
Residential, G-12 Shekhukhera 229
agricultural area
In between all these four zones, the river flows through Punjab. Sampling stations G-03, G-05, G-07, and G-08 in Haryana
are downstream stations of Punjab state

with 30 mL of hexane each by gently mixing from Labor Dr. Ehrenstorfer, D-8900 Augsburg,
the sample for 15 min, each time using Teflon- Germany. Qualitative and quantitative analyses
coated magnet on a magnetic stirrer. A total of were done by comparing the retention time and
100 mL hexane was pooled and demoisturized peak area of the samples, respectively, with those
by passing over Na2 SO4 (anhydrous) and con- of the calibrated reference standards.
centrated to about 5–6 mL in a rotary evaporator Analysis of pesticide residues was carried
(Buchhi type) at 50–60˚C. The extract was cleaned out on a Chemito series 2865 microprocessor-
by column chromatography using 25 g deacti- controlled gas chromatograph equipped with
vated alumina (basic, 100 meshes) and 100 mL of electron-capture detector having 63 Ni foil as the
hexane. The eluate was concentrated to 2 mL for electron source. The column specifications and
analysis on a gas liquid chromatograph equipped operating conditions were:
with electron-capture detector (63 Ni). For recov-
ery experiment, 100–200 ng of each pesticide, its Column: 2-m glass, 0.25-in. I.D., packed
isomer–metabolite, were added to 1,000-mL river with 1.5% OV-17–1.95% QF-1
water samples, which were processed in a similar on Gas Chrom Q, 100–120 mesh
manner. Recorded percent recovery in each case Temperatures: Column 200˚C (6 min), 215˚C
is a mean of three replicates. (5 min), and 230˚C (5 min)
Hexane used as solvent was of pesticide residue Detector 280˚C
analysis grade and were distilled in all glass dis- Injector 220˚C
tillation apparatus prior to use. The peaks were Carrier gas: Nitrogen at a flow rate of
identified by comparison of retention time with 50 mL/min
those of corresponding standards. Calibration of
the instrument was done before sample analy- Confirmation of the identity of the organochlo-
sis using standards of the pesticides obtained rine residues was done on Hewlett Packard series
64 Environ Monit Assess (2010) 160:61–69

Fig. 1 Course of river

Ghaggar and the
sampling locations (inset:
map of Haryana)
Environ Monit Assess (2010) 160:61–69 65

5890 II gas chromatograph in splitless mode with
the following operating conditions:
Column BP5 Capillary 30, 0.25-mm I.D.
Temperatures Column 135˚C (20 min), 155˚C
(15 min), 210˚C (10 min), and
250˚C (5 min) Detector 300˚C
Injector 250˚C
Carrier gas Nitrogen at a flow rate of
1 mL/min
All analyses were done in triplicate.
Results and discussion
Retention times, mean percent recoveries, and
minimum detection limits for various pesticides
are shown in Table 2. Their identities were further
confirmed by chemical dehydrochlorination and
subsequent gas chromatography.
The concentration of hexachlorocyclohexane
(HCH; sum of α-, β-, γ -, and δ-HCH) ranged be-
tween 21.13 and 244.16 ng/L with an average value
of 119.74 ng/L (Table 3). Among HCH isomers,
α and δ remained nontraceable at all sampling
sites, γ -HCH was detected in only one sample (G-
05), while β-HCH contributed mainly to the total
HCH residues in the river water indicating an old
pollution source. The β-HCH residues have also
been reported in some other Indian rivers (Kumar
et al. 1995; Ramesh et al. 1990), which may be due
to its least reactiveness and maximum persistence
out of all the HCH isomers (Wang et al. 2003),
stable chemical structure, low vapor pressure, and
high resistance to microbial degradation. The con-
centration of β-HCH showed a decreasing trend
in downstream sites of the river after Sirsa (G-08)
which might be due to the mixing of canal water
at Ottu (G-09) site with river water. The mean
concentration of HCH found in the present in-
vestigation (119.74 ng/L) was quite low as com-
pared to that of HCH concentration reported in
other Indian rivers like 245 ng/L in river Ganga
(Agnihotri et al. 1994), 21,100 ng/L in river
Gandak (Srivastava et al. 1996), 50,690 and
43,900 ng/L in rivers Krishna and Godavari, re-
spectively (Reddy et al. 1997), 1,200 ng/L in river
Yamuna (CPCB 2000), and 310.25 ng/L in river
Yamuna (Kaushik et al. 2008). In about 58%
samples, the HCH concentration exceeded the
permissible standards of 100 ng/L recommended
for drinking purpose (EC directive 1998).
Residues of various isomers of hexachlorocy-
clohexane are being reported from various rivers
because HCH had been in extensive use in India
during the last five decades. During the commer-
cial synthesis of HCH, four isomers, namely, α, β,
γ , and δ, are formed in proportion of 55–80%, 5–
14%, 8–15%, and 2-16%, respectively. It is only
the γ isomer that has insecticidal properties while

Table 2 Retention time, OCPs Retention time on % Recoveries Minimum detection

mean percent recoveries,
glass column (min) limit (ng)
and minimum detection
limits of organochlorine α−HCH 3.83 90 0.5
pesticides (OCPs) by γ −HCH 4.77 87 0.4
liquid–liquid extraction β−HCH 5.60 92 0.6
(LLE) with hexane as δ−HCH 6.40 85 0.8
extracting solvent Aldrin 7.35 88 0.04
o, p -DDE 10.40 83 0.7
α−endosulfan 11.50 88 0.3
p, p -DDE 12.30 86 0.4
Dieldrin 13.11 87 0.14
o, p -DDT 15.11 82 0.7
o, p -DDD 15.79 80 0.4
p, p -DDD 16.15 86 0.5
β−endosulfan 16.67 87 0.4
p, p -DDT 17.25 83 0.7
66 Environ Monit Assess (2010) 160:61–69

587.30 ± 201.18
238.59–1,005.43
all other isomers become environmental contam-
inants. Preparation of γ -HCH is costly. A ban on

1,005.43
238.593
369.551

657.983
815.847
580.515

521.454
521.272
446.582
705.911

565.223
the use of HCH was imposed in 1997, although
DDT

619.93
restricted use of γ -HCH (lindane) is allowed in
India. Industries engaged in export of γ -HCH

48.52 ± 31.14
generate α, β, and δ as by-products and discard

9.29–104.12
p,p -DDD

101.918 their waste in the open (Prakash et al. 2004).

104.116
28.848
33.186

58.860

49.906
40.000

54.663
66.279
25.372

9.290 Occurrence of various HCH isomers formed

9.884

during their persistence and interconversion

(Steinwandter and Schluter 1978) in the soil from

1.47 ± 2.23
BDL–5.21
o,p -DDD

previous applications, and the current use be-

5.212
4.682

3.112
4.525

comes the source of pesticide pollution of river

BDL
BDL

BDL
BDL

BDL
BDL

BDL
BDL

water during agricultural runoff. The occurrence

105.02 ± 98.66 of relatively higher proportions of β- and γ -HCH
27.33–367.51

as compared to α and δ is due to the fact that

p,p -DDE

β-HCH is recalcitrant and the use of γ -HCH,

123.953
367.511

116.337
214.128
41.081
43.163

89.988
32.744

27.325

31.279
74.942
97.907

though restricted, still continues. Kumari et al.

(2007) have reported total HCH residues in field
1.41 ± 3.55

soil. Prakash et al. (2004) have reported HCH

BDL–12.3
o,p -DDE

concentration in soil up to 0.051 μg/g. Still higher

12.301
1.711

2.964
BDL
BDL
BDL

BDL
BDL
BDL
BDL

BDL
BDL

concentration of total HCH (637.00 mg/kg) was

reported by them in soil sample of Indian Pes-
427.84 ± 139.08
α– and δ-HCH, α- and β-endosulfan, aldrin, and dieldrin remained BDL in all the samples

ticide Limited, Lucknow. Pesticides contaminate

165.62–675.41

drinking water also. HCH up to 24.10 μg/L

p,p -DDT

(Prakash et al. 2004) has been reported from vari-

165.615
288.409
628.036

436.072
675.409
503.084
463.156

429.036
376.939
449.952
342.771

355.711

ous brands of mineral water and a high concentra-

tion of lindane (up to 0.0042 mg/L) has been found
3.00 ± 2.85

in various brands of soft drinks by CSE (2003).

Table 3 Concentration of HCH and DDT (ng/L) in Ghaggar river water

BDL–7.19
o,p -DDT

The concentration of dichlorodiphenyltrich-

3.049
4.793

4.793
7.195

6.476
4.158
5.634
BDL

BDL
BDL

BDL
BDL

loroethane (DDT), i.e., the sum of p, p -DDT,

p, p -DDE, and p, p -DDD and o, p -DDT, o, p -
DDE, and o, p -DDD, varied from 238.59 to
119.74 ± 76.54
21.13–244.16

1,005.43 ng/L with a mean concentration of

142.815
141.358

122.416
174.391
244.159

132.652
241.663
HCH

587.30 ng/L. The minimum and maximum con-

80.391

81.608

21.130
33.054
21.304

centrations were observed at Chandi Mandir (G-

01) having least anthropogenic activities and at
115.68 ± 70.38

Devigarh (G-03), respectively. The main contri-

21.13–241.66

bution (72.85%) was due to p, p -DDT in DDT

β-HCH
142.815
141.358

174.391
195.435

132.652
241.663
122.456

residues followed by that of p, p -DDE (17.88%)

80.391

80.608

21.304
21.130
33.054

and p, p -DDD (8.26%). The high concentration

of p, p-DDT indicates recent use of DDT in the
BDL below detection limits
4.06 ± 14.06
BDL–48.72

catchment area of the river or its release from a

Sampling site γ -HCH

previously dormant source. In our country, out of

48.724
BDL
BDL
BDL
BDL

BDL
BDL
BDL
BDL
BDL
BDL
BDL

the total production of DDT, 85% has been used

for vector control under the National Malaria
Eradication Program of the government (Singh
Mean ± SD

et al. 1988) and being stable it may persist for a

Range

long time in soils. Relatively higher concentration

G-10
G-11
G-12
G-1
G-2
G-3
G-4
G-5
G-6
G-7
G-8
G-9

of DDT as compared to HCH detected in water

Environ Monit Assess (2010) 160:61–69 67

from all sampling sites may be attributed either In natural environment, the chemical and bi-
to greater persistence of DDT in the environment ological processes slowly degrade p, p -DDT to
or its current use in vector control or its illegal p, p -DDE and p, p -DDD (Baxtor 1990). The ra-
use in the catchment area. Furthermore, higher tio of ( p, p -DDE + p, p -DDD) to p, p -DDT pro-
vapor pressure for HCH isomers than that of vides an indication of how recently DDT has been
DDT facilitates relatively more rapid atmospheric released into the environment. In all the samples,
dissipation of the former pesticide in the tropics, the ratio was less than 1, which indicates that
leaving fewer residues in soils and water (Kannan p, p-DDT residues were recently introduced to
et al. 1995; Kaushik 1991). Relative abundance of the waters (Wang et al. 2003). The mean DDT
DDT and its metabolites and isomers of HCH in residues of 587.30 ng/L in the present study were
the river water observed in the present study is low when compared with other Indian rivers, i.e.,
shown in Fig. 2. 3,400 ng/L in river Yamuna (Agarwal et al. 1986),
4,000 ng/L in river Ganga (Halder et al. 1989), and
4,060 ng/L in river Krishna (Reddy et al. 1997).
However, the values were more than that for river
p,p' DDT
72.85%
(a) Ganga and Yamuna reported on a later date, i.e.,
247.2 ng/L in river Ganga (Agnihotri et al. 1994)
and 93.4 ng/L (Sharma et al. 2003) and 387.9 ng/L
(Kaushik et al. 2008) in river Yamuna.
In all the water samples, the concentration
of DDT exceeded the standard of 1.0 ng/L
o,p' DDT (USEPA 1995) for freshwater aquatic life and
0.5% o,p' DDE for drinking, i.e., 100 ng/L (EC directive 1998).
p,p' DDD 0.24%
o,p' DDD p,p' DDE The DDT metabolites may affect the growth and
8.26%
0.25% 17.88%
development of aquatic life in the river and subse-
quently that of birds and mammals through food
β-HCH (b) chain by disrupting the endocrine functions, in-
96.6%
terfering with growth and development, and caus-
ing egg-shell thinning, egg breakage, and reduced
clutch size, hatching success, and subsequent
productivity.
It is concluded from the present study that
the water of river Ghaggar contains both HCH
γ -HCH
and DDT residues that may be attributed, respec-
3.4% tively, to their previous use and continued use,
mostly in vector control programs (Joia and Battu
DDT
(c) 2000) in some catchment areas of the river in
83.07%
three states of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and
Punjab. Consequent upon the imposed ban and
strict registration of the persistent organochlorine
compounds in India, the levels of their residues
have been decreasing in the rivers. There is,
however, a need to implement complete ban on
sale and use of banned pesticides like DDT and
HCH HCH by the government. Also, awareness may be
16.93% created among the farmers to follow good agri-
cultural practices to avoid excessive residues in
Fig. 2 Relative abundance of DDT and its metabolites (a),
isomers of HCH (b), and total DDT and total HCH (c) in different components of the environment includ-
water of river Ghaggar, Haryana ing food items and water.
68
Acknowledgements The authors are thankful to Er.
Anil Haritash, Department of Environmental Science and
Engineering, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and
Technology, Hisar for his contribution in many ways.
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