title: Historical records of organic pollutants in sediment cores.
abstract: Analyses of sediment core samples are primary sources of historical pollution trends in aquatic systems. Determining organic compounds, such as POPs, in the dated sediments enables the estimation of their temporal concentration changes and the identification of the contaminant origin in local regions. Wars, large-scale fires, economical transitions, and bans on certain chemicals are reflected in the sediment organic compound concentrations. The high POP concentrations in surficial sediments suggest that these chemicals, even after being banned, remain in the environment. Furthermore, vertical profiles can help in understanding the sedimentation process and in estimating effective countermeasures against pollution. Moreover, studies published during the period 1991-2013 on PAHs, PCBs, OCPs, dioxins and dioxin-like compound concentrations in sediment core samples are reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Chemical Faculty, Gdańsk University of Technology (GUT), ul. Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland. Electronic address: bigus.paulina@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Paulina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bigus
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Chemical Faculty, Gdańsk University of Technology (GUT), ul. Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tobiszewski
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Chemical Faculty, Gdańsk University of Technology (GUT), ul. Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Namieśnik
mesh_terms: D004147:Dioxins / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000032:analysis; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D004147:Dioxins; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
keywords: Historical trends of pollution; Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs); Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); Sediment cores