Origins and Characteristics of Organic Pollutants in the Shallow Groundwater Along Kuihe River, China

Shallow groundwater was sampled from 45 monitoring points in Suzhou area along Kuihe River, China, and organic pollutants including volatile organic compounds, semi-volatile organic compounds and organophosphorus pesticide in the water were tested with GC/MS, HPLC and GC/ECD. Seven organic pollutants were detected among 82 tested substances. In the detected pollutants, Phenanthrene, Naphthalene and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate were widely detected, but Dichloromethane and Malathion were only detected in partial sampling points. The concentrations of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate in four sampling points were higher than the Limits for Drinking Water issued by USA. Analysis indicate that the organic pollution of shallow groundwater in Suzhou area is related to the pollution of Kuihe River, the use of chemical pesticides in agriculture, and the point-source pollution from industries.