Polychlorinated biphenyls in marine sediments from the southern North Sea and Scheldt estuary: a ten-year study of concentrations, patterns and trends

The paper reports the concentrations and patterns of CBs in sediments of the Belgian part of the southern North Sea and the Scheldt estuary for the period 1991-2001. The long-term analytical performance was well within the quality assurance boundaries set at the outset of the study and is consistent with the state of the art for this type of analysis. The CB concentrations (given as the median of the sum of IUPAC Nos 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153 and 180) vary between 0.1 microg kg(-1) and 50 microg kg(-1) dry weight in the total sediment and it could be demonstrated that CB patterns in the fine fraction of the sediment were closely similar throughout the investigated area. Isolation of the fine fraction (<63 microm) by sieving can be regarded as a physical normalisation to reduce the differences in sediment granulometric composition. It allows for a better understanding of CB distribution and patterns and improves the trend analysis. A significant downward trend could not be found at any of the stations, which suggests that CB levels have not been changing in the area of interest in the past decade.     

Persistent organic pollutant patterns in grey seals (Halichoerus grypus)

The aim of this paper is to examine the patterns of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in the grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) from the Baltic, Northeast and Eastern England, and the St. Lawrence Estuary (Canada). In fact, the feeding habits of the ringed seal (Phoca hispida) include ingestion of major quantities of benthic crustaceans that might cause observed differences obtained in PCBs, whereas the grey seal feed mainly on fish. The profile (percent in mixture) of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) 101, 118, 138, 153, and 180, and the total of their concentrations in mg/kg lipid in grey seals from the Baltic, from Northeast and Eastern England, and from the St. Lawrence estuary (Canada), were examined by principal component analysis (PCA). When considering the possible effects of consuming seafood by the grey seal, it is necessary to characterize populations and individuals according to the amounts they consume, since populations in different parts of the world are likely to show big differences in their consumption of seafood. The patterns differ between juveniles and adult animals, but the gender of adults and geography do not appear to play a role.     

ISOTOPIC EVALUATION OF Pb OCCURRENCES IN THE RIVERINE ECOSYSTEMS OF THE KANKAKEE WATERSHED,ILLINOIS‐INDIANA1

ABSTRACT: Environmental background levels of Pb were measured in ponds, river waters, sediments, suspended sediments, rocks, and air particulates within the Kankakee watershed during the period of 1995 to 1999. Stable isotopic Pb distinguished airborne Pb and its incorporation into riverine wetland sediments from geogenic Pb measured in river sediments. The provenance of the naturally‐occurring Pb is from carbonate bedrock and contributes comparable concentrations in riverbank sediments (25.9–30.4 mg kg^?1) as Pb found in wetland sediments (18.6–24.8 mg kg^?1). Estimates of anthropogenic Pb contributions from airfall into the Kankakee wetlands were found to be near 0.43–0.71 Bq cm^?2 yr^?1 during 1995 to 1999. While leachable Pb data suggests the uppermost layers of pond sediments were disturbed, ²¹⁰Pb analyses from undisturbed sedimentation suggests Pb‐bearing sediments accumulate approximately 0.46–0.51 cm yr^?1 in the ponds within the riparian zones. Transboundary Pb pollution from aerosols of industrial Pb across the Great Lakes occurs, but Pb isotopy indicates that the Pb concentrations are comparable to natural concentrations of Pb in both waters and sediments within the Kankakee watershed.     

Distribution pattern of PCBs,HCB and PeCB using passive air and soil sampling in Estonia

Background, aim, and scope  

Passive air sampling survey of the Central and Eastern Europe was initiated in 2006. This paper presents data on toxic organic compounds such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB 28, 52, 101, 118, 153, 138, and 180), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), pentachlorobenzene (PeCB), hexachlorocyclohexane compounds (α-HCH, β-HCH,γ-HCH, δ-HCH), and dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) compounds (p,p′DDE, p,p′DDD, p,p′DDT, o,p′DDE, o,p′DDD, and o,p′DDT) determined in ambient air and soil samples collected at Estonian monitoring stations.     

Organotins in North Sea brown shrimp (Crangon crangon L.) after implementation of the TBT ban

The organotin (OT) compounds tributyltin (TBT) and triphenyltin (TPhT) are potent biocides that have been used ubiquitously in antifouling paints and pesticides since the mid-1970s. These biocides are extremely toxic to marine life, particularly marine gastropod populations. The European Union therefore took measures to reduce the use of TBT-based antifouling paints on ships and ultimately banned these paints in 2003. Despite sufficient data on OT concentrations in marine gastropods, data are scarce for other species such as the North Sea brown shrimp (Crangon crangon), a dominant crustacean species in North Sea inshore benthic communities. The present study provides the first spatial overview of OT concentrations in North Sea brown shrimp. We have compared these data with historical concentrations in shrimp as well as with sediment concentrations. We have also addressed the effect on the shrimp stock and any human health risks associated with the OT concentrations found. TBT and TPhT in shrimp tail muscle ranged from 4 to 124 and from 1 to 24 μg kg⁻¹ DW, respectively. High levels are accumulated in estuarine areas and are clearly related with sediment concentrations (biota-sediment accumulation factor ∼10). Levels have decreased approximately 10-fold since the ban took effect, coinciding with a recovery of the shrimp stock after 30 years of gradual regression. Furthermore, the OT levels found in brown shrimp no longer present a human health risk.     

226Ra and 228Ra activities associated with agricultural drainage ponds and wetland ponds in the Kankakee Watershed, Illinois-Indiana, USA

Background radioactivity is elevated in many agricultural drainage ponds and also constructed wetland ponds in the Kankakee watershed. During 1995-1999, gross-alpha and -beta activities were measured up to 455 and 1650 mBq L-1, respectively. 226Ra and 228Ra averaged 139 and 192 mBq L-1 in controlled drainage ponds compared to 53 and 58 mBq L-1 for 226Ra and 228Ra, respectively, in native wetland ponds. Analyses of applied ammonium phosphate fertilizers near both native and controlled ponds indicate comparable 226Ra/228Ra and 228Ra/232Th activity ratios with only the surface waters in the controlled ponds. For example, 226Ra/228Ra activity ratios in controlled ponds ranged from 0.791 to 0.91 and group with a local fertilizer batch containing FL phosphate compounds with 226Ra/228Ra activity ratios of 0.831-1.04. Local soils of the Kankakee watershed have 226Ra/228Ra activity ratios of 0.541-0.70. Calculated Ra fluxes of waters, in drainage ditches associated with these controlled ponds, for 226Ra ranged from 0.77 to 9.00 mBq cm-2 d-1 and for 228Ra ranged from 1.22 to 8.43 mBq cm-2 d-1. Ra activity gradients were measured beneath these controlled ponds both in agricultural landscapes and in constructed wetlands, all being associated with drainage ditches. Ra had infiltrated to the local water table but was below regulatory maximum contaminant limits. Still, measurable Ra activity was measured downgradient of even the constructed wetlands in the Kankakee watershed, suggesting that the attenuation of Ra was low. However, no Ra excess was observed in the riparian zone or the Kankakee River downgradient of the native wetland ponds.     

Evaluation of US EPA Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program's (EMAP)-Wetlands sampling design and classification

The United States Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) will monitor the nation's resources by evaluating the status and trends of selected indicators of condition using a probability-based sampling design. The EMAP-Wetlands program will monitor the condition of the nation's wetlands. The EMAP classification system is an aggregation of the many subclasses of the US Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) classification system. This aggregation results in fewer wetland classes with more wetlands per class than the NWI system. Aggregation of the NWI classification was based primarily on dominant vegetation cover, flooding regimes, dominant water source, and adjacency to rivers and lakes. We evaluated the EMAP classification system and sampling design using NWI digital wetlands data for portions of Illinois, Washington, North Dakota, and South Dakata. Relative numbers of wetlands, total areas, average areas, and common versus rare classes were compared between the EMAP and NWI classification systems. As expected, the EMAP classification provided fewer wetland polygons, each with larger areas, without altering total wetland area. Summary statistics comparing sample estimates to true population parameters (represented by the NWI data) demonstrated the effectiveness of the EMAP sampling design with the exception of rare EMAP classes in the selected regions. Although simple random sampling is inadequate for both large and small wetlands, the EMAP sampling design is readily adapted to provide better estimates for these categories. Aggregating the NWI classification to the EMAP classification provides fewer wetland classes, with more wetlands per class, for EMAP's annual reports and statistical summaries. The research in this report has been funded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under contracts 68-C8-0006 to ManTech Environmental Technology, Inc. and 68-03-3532 to The Bionetics Corporation. Mention of trade names does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.     

Determination of VOCs in yellow eel from various inland water bodies in Flanders (Belgium)

Twenty freshwater eels caught in Flanders (Belgium) were analysed by GC-MS for a total of 52 VOCs. The most prominent VOCs are the BTEX and a number of chlorinated compounds such as chloroform and tetrachloroethene. The observed concentrations which, typically, were in the low ng/g wet weight range, could be linked to the major emission sources and the present study gives new evidence that combustion of fossil fuels is a major source of BTEX in the environment. The concentration levels in eels seem to be a reflection of the actual concentrations in their environment. For eels from the same location similar patterns and concentrations were observed, and the concentrations agree with what can be expected from those of the water column. Generally speaking, the observed concentrations do not seem to pose a threat for organisms. More definite statements will, however, require a larger dataset. The study suggests that the yellow eel can possibly be used as a biomonitor or sentinel organism for VOCs.