title: Spatial distribution and ecological risk of polychlorinated biphenyls in sediments from Qinzhou Bay, Beibu Gulf of South China.
abstract: The residual level of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was determined in the surface sediments collected from the Qinzhou Bay, Beibu Gulf of Southern China. The results showed that the total concentration of PCBs ranged from 1.62 to 62.63 ng/g dry wt, with a mean of 9.87 ng/g dry wt. Generally, the average PCBs concentrations in three sample groups descended in this order: inner bay > outer bay > rivers. On a mean level, with respect to the PCBs homologue profiles, the analysis suggested that tetrachlorinated biphenyls was the most abundant PCB, followed by hexachlorinated biphenyls, pentachlorinated biphenyls. PCB profiles varied according to the nature of the site and its proximity to the sources. PCA with multiple linear regression analysis indicated that Aroclor products contributed to the PCBs in Qinzhou Bay. Risk assessments conducted on the levels indicated that PCBs in sediments of Qinzhou Bay posed no significant risk to human health.
authors.affiliation: School of Environment Studies, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
authors.forename: Jinlian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Environment Studies, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
authors.forename: Yuanyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of Environment Studies, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China. Electronic address: wyh@gxu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yinghui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Environment Studies, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
authors.forename: Yuanyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Environment Studies, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Environment Studies, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Ruijie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Gan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D061006:Bays / Q000737:chemistry; D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
keywords: Beibu Gulf of South China; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Qinzhou Bay; Surface sediment