Pond of Vaccarès

Natural reserve and vaster pond of the the Camargue, in the Delta of the Rhone, to the south of France, it extends on 6.500 ha. Its name would originate in the very many wild cows which fed in herds on its edges.

Description

Septentrional pond of the Camargue, it constitutes the principal element of the control system of water of the delta. Its depth is lower than two meters.

It is also an important place of rest and food for the migratory birds, and a place of life for the pink flamingos.

Pollution

This pond although “ protected ” nevertheless is exposed to the repercussions of Pollution S emitted by the great close industrial parks. For this reason, of 1997 to 2000, one in particular studied there, on 3 zones close to the bank, the contamination of fish by the POPs (organochlorinated pesticides (OC) with lindane, dieldrin, hexachorobenzene and pp'-DDE), aromatic hydrocarbons polycyclic (HAP) and polychlorobiphényls (PCB). The seasonal variations and between sites of the contamination were studied in European eels (“ Anguilla anguilla” ), the carassins (Carassius auratus), the catfishes (Ictalurus mixed) and the pike perches ( Stizostedion luscioperca ). The contamination in HAP and OC fluctuates much for all these species, the place of taking away or the season. The rates the organochlorinated ones (OC) in the animals proven rose abnormally, exceeding 1 ppm reported to the dry weight, even ten ppm in certain samples. The eels, which are nourished readily in the sediments, and the predatory ones (pike perches) were contaminated. The eels showed contents of very high PCB, especially at the end of spring. Lindane the rates, very high before this insecticide is prohibited in July 1998, decreased since 1999 but, like the rate of the pp'-DDE, while remaining significant. The rates of dieldrin and hexachlorobenzene in the liver and the muscles tended to increase during the year 2000. The rates of organochlorinated pesticides (prevalent contributions by agricultural water of irrigation) strongly vary according to the sites, but more rarely for the PCB and HAP (pollution via the atmospheric compartment).

The contents of HAP measured in the bile and the liver tended to decrease over the 4 years (1997 - 2000) of measurements. After 1998, naphthalene was not prevalent any more. The most frequent HAP were then molecules with 3 or 4 benzene cycles (acenaphtylene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene) and benzo-fluoranthenes. The benzo (A) pyrene being not very present.

See too

the Stupid Camargue
of Vaccarès

External bonds

Study on the contamination of the fish settlement of a pond of the national natural reserve of the Camargue, Vaccarès, by of POPs persistent organic pollutants

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