title: Organo-halogenated contaminants (OHCs) in the sediments from the Soan River, Pakistan: OHCs(adsorbed TOC) burial flux, status and risk assessment.
abstract: In this study, regression analysis revealed that TOC is the principal factor in controlling the fate of organo-halogenated contaminants (OHCs: PCBs, PBDEs, OCPs) in Soan River, Pakistan. The OHCs(adsorbed TOC) burial flux (OHCs(adsorbed TOC)Bf; mg/cm(2)·yr) was calculated in the following ranges: ∑PCBs (0.07-0.31), ∑PBDEs (0.005-0.029), ∑HCHs (0.015-0.046) and ∑DDTs (0.007-0.039). Apart from OHCs(adsorbed TOC)Bf, the levels of OHCs were in the following order: PCBs>DDTs>PBDEs>HCH>Chlordane>HCB. PBDEs and PCB congener patterns showed following order respectively: BDE-149>-153>-18>-138>-44 and PCB-149>-153>-18>-138>-44. DDT isomers and metabolites' pattern were p,p'-DDT>p,p'-DDD>p,p'-DDE>o,p'-DDT>o,p'-DDD>o,p'-DDE and HCHs were β-HCH>α-HCH>γ-HCH>δ-HCH. PBDE composition had similarities to penta-BDE and DE-71 mixtures and PCBs with commercial products Aroclor-1254 and -1260. (DDE+DDD)/∑DDTs and p,p'-DDT/p,p'-DDE suggested the recent input of DDTs in sediments while α/γ-HCH indicated past usage of lindane and technical mixtures. Risk assessment suggested that Soan River and its tributaries are potentially at risk against most of the OHCs.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Biology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad PO 45320, Pakistan. Electronic address: r_n_malik2000@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: Riffat Naseem
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Malik
authors.affiliation: Environmental Biology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad PO 45320, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Fouzia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mehboob
authors.affiliation: Environmental Biology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad PO 45320, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Usman
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), FRAM High North Research Centre on Climate and the Environment, Hjalmar Johansens gt. 14, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katsoyiannis
authors.affiliation: Centre for Chemical Managements, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK.
authors.forename: Jasmin K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Schuster
authors.affiliation: Centre for Chemical Managements, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moeckel
authors.affiliation: Centre for Chemical Managements, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK.
authors.forename: Kevin C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D006846:Hydrocarbons, Halogenated / Q000032:analysis*; D010154:Pakistan; D018570:Risk Assessment; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D006846:Hydrocarbons, Halogenated; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Burial flux; OCPs; Organo-halogenated contaminants; PBDEs; PCBs; Total organic carbon