Occurrence of C{sub 10}-C{sub 13} polychlorinated n-alkanes in Canadian midlatitude and arctic lake sediments
- Freshwater Inst., Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada). Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans
- National Water Research Inst., Burlington, Ontario (Canada). Environment Canada
Sediment cores from six lakes in Canada ranging from 49 {degree}N to 81 {degree}N were analyzed for C{sub 10}--C{sub 13} polychlorinated n-alkanes (PCAs) with the intent of (i) examining the depositional trends with increasing latitude, (ii) studying the historical profiles and fluxes of PCAs in dated sediment slices, and (iii) investigating possible in situ degradation. Sediment slices were dated using {sup 210}Pb and {sup 137}Cs, and extracts were analyzed for PCA concentrations by high resolution gas chromatography electron capture negative ion high resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC-ECNI/HRMS) in the selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. Concentrations of total PCAs in surface sediments declined significantly from 135 ng/g in sediments from the southern basin of Lake Winnipeg to 4.52 ng/g in Hazen Lake; corresponding surficial fluxes were 147 and 0.9 {micro}g/m{sup 2} yr, respectively. The high flux of PCAs to the south Lake Winnipeg basin suggests local contamination. This was confirmed by analyzing water collected from the Red River, a river that discharges into the southern basin of Lake Winnipeg, in which elevated levels of PCAs were detected. The surficial flux of PCAs to Fox Lake, a subarctic lake in the Yukon, was also high, 34 {micro}g/m{sup 2} yr. Much lower fluxes were found in Lake Nipigon, 3 {micro}g/m{sup 2} yr, the northern basin of Lake Winnipeg, 4 {micro}g/m{sup 2} yr, and to Ya Ya Lake 0.45 {micro}g/m{sup 2} yr. The remote locations of Hazen and Ya Ya Lakes and the low levels of PCAs observed in their corresponding sediment slices are consistent with long-range atmospheric transport.
- OSTI ID:
- 696759
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Science and Technology, Journal Name: Environmental Science and Technology Journal Issue: 17 Vol. 33; ISSN ESTHAG; ISSN 0013-936X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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