Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran residues in estuarine and coastal North Sea sediments: Sources and distribution
- Inst. for Marine and Coastal Management/RIKZ, Hague (Netherlands). Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management
- Univ. of Amsterdam (Netherlands). Dept. of Environmental and Toxicological Chemistry
Sediments from two depositional zones of the North Sea (the Wadden Sea and Oyster Grounds) and from the estuaries of the rivers Rhine, Meuse, Scheldt, Ems, and Humber were analyzed for polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) using a congener-specific procedure. A simple grain-size correction procedure was utilized for the comparison of PCDF and PCDD concentrations in sediments from different origin. PCDFs were more widely encountered than PCDDs in all sediments, except for the Ems-Dollard and the Humber estuary. The highest concentrations were found in the outflow sediments of the rivers Rhine and Humber. Concentrations up to 2,980 ng/kg PCDFs, principally 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDF and OCDF, and up to 1,760 ng/kg PCDDs, principally OCDD, were determined in the River Rhine sediments. Principal component analysis was used to visualize the compositional changes of Rhine sediments. Principal component analysis was used to visualize the compositional changes of PCDD and PCDF profiles in the sediments. Two-dimensional projections based on sample scores from the principal component models showed a marked influence of the River Rhine on the presence of these compounds in the western Wadden Sea and the Oyster Grounds. Based on a chemometric evaluation of chromatographic profiles of these coastal, estuarine and related freshwater sediments, the authors have deduced that these compounds originate from industrial operation discharges, related to the production of chloroaliphatic compounds and the chloralkali compounds and the chloralkali industry along the River Rhine. The atmospheric deposition of combustion-generated PCDDs and PCDFs appeared significant only for remote marine environments.
- OSTI ID:
- 5597229
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry; (United States), Vol. 12:9; ISSN 0730-7268
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
BENZOFURANS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
DIOXIN
NORTH SEA
WATER POLLUTION
SEDIMENTS
CONTAMINATION
COASTAL WATERS
ESTUARIES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
POLLUTION SOURCES
ATLANTIC OCEAN
FURANS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
540320* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)