Polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in marine and lacustrine sediments from the Shandong Peninsula, China

Abstract

Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in sediments from Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea coastal waters and lakes in Shandong Peninsula were determined. The total PCB concentrations of the measured 50 congeners (Sigma50PCBs) in the sediments ranged from 273.7 to 644.5 pg g(-1) dw (dry weight). The PCB congener profiles in the lacustrine sediments were different from those in the marine sediments. TriCBs and TetraCBs were the dominant homologues in marine sediments, whereas in the sediments from the Nansi Lakes, contributions of PCB homologues were similar. The total concentrations of 2,3,7,8-PCDD/Fs ranged from 6.2 to 27.4 pg g(-1) dw. The congener profiles of 2,3,7,8-substituted PCDD/Fs for the sediments were generally similar for both the lakes and the coastal sea areas in Shandong Peninsula. They were characterized by high OCDD, followed by 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDD and OCDF. The congener profiles of PCDD/Fs in the sediments were consistent with the profiles of main dominant PCDD/Fs in pentachlorophenol and sodium pentachlorophenate products in China. PCDD/F-TEQ ranged from 0.11 to 0.80 pg TEQg(-1) dw. The dioxin-like PCB-TEQ had concentrations ranging from 0.03 to 0.08 pg TEQ g(-1) dw, mainly from PCB126. PCBs and PCDD/Fs concentrations found in the sediments were from background to low polluted levels.