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Polycyclic and organochlorine hydrocarbons in sediments of the northern South China Sea

Authors :
David Kaiser
Detlef E. Schulz-Bull
Joanna J Waniek
Source :
Marine Pollution Bulletin. 137:668-676
Publication Year :
2018
Publisher :
Elsevier BV, 2018.

Abstract

We investigated the concentration distribution and composition of organic pollutants in sediments of the shelf and the deep northern South China Sea (NSCS). Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Σ15PAH; 10.69–66.45 ng g−1), Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (Σ4DDT; 0–0.82 ng g−1), and polychlorinated biphenyls (Σ24PCB; 0–0.12 ng g−1) are below established sediment quality guidelines, suggesting no environmental risk. Surprisingly, concentrations increase from the shelf to the deep NSCS, and are higher in the east of the study area. The organic pollutant composition indicates PAH mainly derived from pyrogenic sources, and mostly degraded DDT and PCB. However, in the deep NSCS, considerable contribution of petrogenic PAH, low chlorinated PCB and p,p′-DDT suggest more recent input from different sources compared to the shelf. From these results we infer that organic pollution in the NSCS does not originate from the Pearl River Estuary but from the NE SCS, SW of Taiwan.

Details

ISSN :
0025326X
Volume :
137
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Marine Pollution Bulletin
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....4bd2f338d91b38faaf1533d1f744ec06
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.10.039