title: PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs in surface sediments from Lake Victoria, East Africa.
abstract: Surface sediments (<60 cm) from the Napoleon Gulf and Thurston Bay on the northern shore of Lake Victoria were analyzed for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs). Fifteen PCDD/Fs and eleven dl-PCBs were found in 75.5% of the samples. The maximum concentrations of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs were 44.1 and 136 pg g(-1) dry weight (dw), respectively. Octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin was the predominant PCDD/F congener at the Napoleon Gulf and Thurston Bay area. Regarding the dl-PCBs, a variation in levels was observed between the mono-ortho PCBs and non-ortho PCBs, with the former having higher levels than the latter. The PCDD/F and dl-PCB levels, in the sediments of Napoleon Gulf, which is near urban centers and industrial areas were markedly higher (α ≤ 0.05) than those from the Thurston Bay, which is offshore, suggesting that human activities could be sources of the pollutants to the surrounding water resources. World Health Organization-toxic equivalency quotients (WHO-TEQs) lay in the range of 0.07-5.53 pg g(-1) dw for PCDD/Fs and 0.01-0.23 pg g(-1) dw for dl-PCBs. 23.1% of samples from the Napoleon Gulf had their results above the set WHOPCDD/Fs-TEQ value.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda. ssebugere@chemistry.mak.ac.ug
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ssebugere
authors.forename: Bernard T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Kiremire
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Henkelmann
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bernhöft
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wasswa
authors.forename: Gabriel N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Kasozi
authors.forename: Karl-Werner
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Schramm
mesh_terms: D001572:Benzofurans / Q000032:analysis*; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004147:Dioxins / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D060106:Lakes / Q000032:analysis*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D014454:Uganda; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004147:Dioxins; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls