Persistence of chlorinated hydrocarbon contamination in a California marine ecosystem
Despite major reductions in the dominant DDT and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) input off Los Angeles (California, U.S.A.) in the early 1970s, the levels of these pollutants decreased only slightly from 1972 to 1975 both in surficial bottom sediments and in a flatfish bioindicator (Dover sole, Microstomus pacificus) collected near the submarine outfall. Concentrations of these pollutants in the soft tissues of the mussel Mytilus californianus, collected intertidally well inshore of the highly contaminated bottom sediments, followed much more closely the decreases in the outfall discharges. These observations suggest that contaminated sediments on the seafloor were the principal (although not necessarily direct) cause of the relatively high and persistent concentrations of DDT and PCB residues in tissues. The study indicated that residues of the higher-molecular-weight chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as DDT and PCB, can be highly persistent once released to coastal marine ecosystems and that their accumulation in surficial bottom sediments is the most likely cause of this persistence observed in the biota of the discharge zone.
- Research Organization:
- Southern California Coastal Water Research Project Authority, Long Beach, CA (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 7019179
- Report Number(s):
- PB-90-129347/XAB
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Pub. in Oceanic Processes in Marine Pollution, Chapter 3, Vol. 5, 33-41(1989)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
WATER POLLUTION
DDT
WATER POLLUTION MONITORS
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
LOS ANGELES
PESTICIDES
SAMPLING
SEDIMENTS
AROMATICS
CALIFORNIA
ECOSYSTEMS
FEDERAL REGION IX
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
INSECTICIDES
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MONITORS
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
USA
540320* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology