Polychlorinated biphenyls in sediments of the Yellow Sea: Distribution, source identification and flux estimation

Duan, Xiaoyong; Li, Yanxia; Li, Xianguo; Zhang, Dahai; Li, Mengfang

Polychlorinated biphenyls in sediments of the Yellow Sea: Distribution, source identification and flux estimation

2013

Duan, Xiaoyong | Li, Yanxia | Li, Xianguo | Zhang, Dahai | Li, Mengfang

Although there is no direct major riverine input, a large quantity of waste produced in mainland China and Korea is transported continuously to the Yellow Sea (YS) through atmospheric deposition, currents and tides; therefore, the environment is distinctly influenced by man-made pollution. This study focuses on the associated pollutant transport mechanisms and fluxes by sampling polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). PCBs (Σ24PCB) in YS sediments ranged between 99pg/g and 3.13ng/g of dry sediment (with a mean value of 715pg/g). PCBs produced unintentionally by industrial and other processes appeared to be the major source of PCBs in the sediments, accounting for 60.5%. Industrially synthesized PCBs with 3Cl and 5Cl accounted for 15.5% and 24.0%, respectively. PCBs were mainly from atmospheric deposition (84.5%), followed by continental runoff (15.5%). The average atmospheric deposition flux of technical PCBs was 789ng/(m2a) and flux of surface runoff was 2.27ng/L.

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