title: PCBs and its coupling with eco-environments in Southern Yellow Sea surface sediments.
abstract: In this paper, the spatial distribution and source of the PCBs in surface sediments of the Southern Yellow Sea (SYS) and influencing factors, such as the sediment characteristics (components, relative proportions and total organic carbon contents), and hydrodynamic conditions were analyzed. PCB concentrations in the surface sediments ranged from 518-5848 pg/g, with average values of 1715 pg/g decreasing sharply compared to last year. In the study area, the PCB pollution level in the middle area was the highest, followed by that of the east coast and the west coast, respectively. Although the PCB level in the coastal areas was lower than that in the middle areas, it was proven in our study that the Yellow Sea obtained PCBs by virtue of river inputs. There was a positive and pertinent correlation between the clay proportion and PCB concentrations, and the increase of the PCB concentrations was directly proportional to the increase of TOC contents, with r=0.61, but it was contrary to the sediment grain size. Consequently, the factors controlling PCB distribution had direct or indirect relationships with sediment grain size; moreover, the hydrodynamic conditions determined the sediment components and grain size. In conclusion, hydrodynamic conditions of the Yellow Sea were the most important influencing factors effecting the distribution of PCBs in the surface sediments of the SYS.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, PR China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jinming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Zhigang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Guoxia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Naixing
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhipeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis; D018533:Biomass; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis; D002681:China; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000032:analysis; D000077194:Chlorophyll A; D004777:Environment; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005843:Geography; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010316:Particle Size; D010933:Plankton / Q000502:physiology; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D011156:Population Density; D014872:Water Movements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002734:Chlorophyll; D002244:Carbon; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls; D001151:Arsenic; D000077194:Chlorophyll A