Historical trends of PCDDs, PCDFs, dioxin-like PCBs and nonylphenols in dated sediment cores from a semi-enclosed bay in Korea: tracking the sources.
Two sediment cores, one at middle of the bay (core 1) and another at an outfall of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP; core 2) were collected in Masan Bay, Korea, to investigate the historical records of contamination by polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs), and nonylphenols (NPs). Vertical profiles of PCDD/Fs, dl-PCBs, and NPs in the two cores, dated using (210)Pb technique, were different but they had similar vertical profiles within the same core. The overall concentrations of these contaminants were greater in core 2 (0.05-110ng TEQkg(-1) dry wt for PCDD/Fs; 0.02-4.4ng TEQkg(-1) dry wt for dl-PCBs; 1.0-470microgkg(-1) dry wt for NPs) than in core 1 (0.72-8.0ng TEQkg(-1) dry wt for PCDD/Fs; 0.03-1.4ng TEQkg(-1) dry wt for dl-PCBs; 1.3-110microgkg(-1) dry wt for NPs). In particular, PCDD/F concentrations in core 2 were an order of magnitude greater than the concentrations in core 1. The highest concentrations of all target contaminants in cores1 and 2 were found at the surface layer (dated as 2005) and at 8-10cm ( approximately 2000), respectively. For sediment core 2, rapid changes in the concentrations and sources of target contaminants coincide with the establishment and operation of a WWTP; this suggested that discharges from WWTP contributed to contamination by PCDD/Fs, dl-PCBs and NPs in the bay. Analysis of data by non-parametric multidimensional scaling ordination showed that both the cores were influenced by different PCDD/F sources over time. Inventories and fluxes of PCDD/Fs, dl-PCBs, and NPs have rapidly increased since establishment of the WWTP, indicating that the discharge of WWTP is an important source of sediment contamination in aquatic environment.
Moon
Hyo-Bang
HB
Marine Environment Management Division, National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI), 408-1, Sirang-ri, Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan 619-705, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: hbmoon@nfrdi.go.kr.
Choi
Minkyu
M
Marine Environment Management Division, National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI), 408-1, Sirang-ri, Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan 619-705, Republic of Korea.
Choi
Hee-Gu
HG
Marine Environment Management Division, National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI), 408-1, Sirang-ri, Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan 619-705, Republic of Korea.
Ok
Gon
G
Faculty of Earth Environmental Sciences, Pukyong National University, Nam-gu, Daeyeon3-dong, 599-1, Busan 608-737, Republic of Korea.
Kannan
Kurunthachalam
K
Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health and Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, State University of New York at Albany, Empire State Plaza, P.O. Box 509, Albany, NY 12201-0509, USA.
D001572:Benzofurans / Q000032:analysis* / Q000266:history; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000266:history; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D007220:Industrial Waste; D007723:Korea; D007856:Lead Radioisotopes / Q000737:chemistry; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis* / Q000266:history; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis* / Q000266:history; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis / Q000266:history; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid
D001572:Benzofurans; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D007220:Industrial Waste; D007856:Lead Radioisotopes; D010636:Phenols; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; C025256:nonylphenol; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls