title: Distribution of persistent organic pollutants (PAHs, Me-PAHs, PCBs) in dissolved, particulate and sedimentary phases in freshwater systems.
abstract: The occurrence of three groups of hazardous organic contaminants (PCBs, PAHs, Me-PAHs) in fifteen watercourses and rivers located in highly urbanized and industrialized zones was studied. The distribution of 62 organic contaminants was determined in three matrices: in the dissolved phase, associated with suspended solid matter (SSM) and in sediment. Their distributions in the aquatic environment depend strongly on their physicochemical properties. Low molecular weight PAHs were predominant in the dissolved phase while those with high molecular weight accumulated preferentially in SSM and sediments. Among the 28 PCBs congeners, only PCB153 was detected. The results showed that the contamination of these areas originated mainly from combustion processes. The three the most polluted sites identified are surrounded by big cities. Ecotoxicological assessment based on the international Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs) showed that the toxic effects of the sediment in these watercourses and rivers occurred due to high levels of hydrocarbons.
authors.affiliation: Université de Lille, LASIR-UMR CNRS 8516, Equipe Physico-Chimie de l'Environnement, Bat. C8, 59655, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France; Faculté des Sciences de l'Université d'Antananarivo, Unité de Recherche en Génie des Procédés et Génie de l'Environnement (URGPGE), BP 906-101, Antananarivo, Madagascar.
authors.forename: Suzanah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rabodonirina
authors.affiliation: Université de Lille, LASIR-UMR CNRS 8516, Equipe Physico-Chimie de l'Environnement, Bat. C8, 59655, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France. Electronic address: sopheak.net@univ-lille1.fr.
authors.forename: Sopheak
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Net
authors.affiliation: Université de Lille, LASIR-UMR CNRS 8516, Equipe Physico-Chimie de l'Environnement, Bat. C8, 59655, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.
authors.forename: Baghdad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ouddane
authors.affiliation: Université de Lille, LASIR-UMR CNRS 8516, Equipe Physico-Chimie de l'Environnement, Bat. C8, 59655, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France; Université Libanaise, Faculté de santé publique section III, Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Eau et de l'Environnement (L.S.E.E), Tripoli, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Dima
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Merhaby
authors.affiliation: Université de Lille, LASIR-UMR CNRS 8516, Equipe Physico-Chimie de l'Environnement, Bat. C8, 59655, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dumoulin
authors.affiliation: Université de Lille, LASIR-UMR CNRS 8516, Equipe Physico-Chimie de l'Environnement, Bat. C8, 59655, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France; Université d'Etat de Moldavie, Faculté de Biologie et de l'Ecologie, Laboratoire Algologie, MD-2009, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova.
authors.forename: Tudor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Popescu
authors.affiliation: Faculté des Sciences de l'Université d'Antananarivo, Unité de Recherche en Génie des Procédés et Génie de l'Environnement (URGPGE), BP 906-101, Antananarivo, Madagascar.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ravelonandro
mesh_terms: D001530:Belgium; D002947:Cities; D054750:Ecotoxicology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005602:France; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000737:chemistry*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000737:chemistry*; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D014507:Urbanization; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
keywords: Ecotoxicological risk; POPs; Sediment quality; The Scheldt; Water column