title: Polychlorinated biphenyls in nonaccumulating, century-old sediments: sources, signatures, and mechanism of introduction.
abstract: This study documents the occurrence of highly chlorinated PCB congeners in stream sediment deposited over 100 years ago. Penta- to heptachlorinated congeners (> 80%) have been found at concentrations up to 78.8 ng/g (dw) in core samples of a small, rural tributary of Lake Ontario. Lower chlorinated congeners and other organochlorine compounds occur sporadically; 210Pb and 137Cs are lacking. The most plausible mechanism is accumulation of dissolved-phase PCBs in permeable sediments adjacent to the creek channel. The similarity between core and air samples collected in the drainage basin suggests derivation from a residual fraction of atmospherically derived PCB congeners.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geology, SUNY-Potsdam, Potsdam, New York 13676, USA. chiarenv@redcreek.net
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Chiarenzelli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Isley
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scrudato
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pagano
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ramirez
mesh_terms: D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D006114:Great Lakes Region; D010539:Permeability; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D012995:Solubility; D014872:Water Movements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls