Estimation of the atmospheric and nonatmospheric contributions and losses of polychlorinated biphenyls for Lake Michigan on the basis of sediment records of remote lakes

Journal Article · Mon Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1986 · Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es00151a005· OSTI ID:6657718

Swackhamer, D L; Armstrong, D E

Amounts of PCBs accumulated in sediments of Lake Michigan and four Wisconsin lakes, isolated from point sources, were measured. The flux of PCBs to Lake Michigan sediments was 4 times greater than the average loading of 1.9 +/- 1.1..mu..g/m/sup 2/ per year to the remote lakes and has been occurring longer. Comparisons of the remote lakes and Lake Michigan were used to estimate the net atmospheric and nonatmospheric contributions of PCBs to Lake Michigan. The net atmospheric input and the total atmospheric flux, reported previously, were used to calculate the net vapor-phase transfer. Total atmospheric (430 +/- 130 kg/year) and net nonatmospheric (330 +/- 140 kg/year) contributions to Lake Michigan were of similar magnitude. Volatilization losses (320 +/- 140 kg/year) were similar to sedimentation losses (440 +/- 130), indicating that volatilization may be a major removal mechanism of PCBs from lakes.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison
• OSTI ID: 6657718
• Journal Information: Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 20:9; ISSN ESTHA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
AIR-WATER INTERACTIONS
AROMATICS
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DATA
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVAPORATION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEDERAL REGION V
GREAT LAKES
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
INFORMATION
LAKE MICHIGAN
LAKES
MASS TRANSFER
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
POINT POLLUTANT SOURCES
POLLUTION
POLLUTION SOURCES
PRECIPITATION SCAVENGING
SEDIMENTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SURFACE WATERS
USA
WASHOUT
WATER POLLUTION
WISCONSIN