title: Depositional time trends of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans in a dated sediment core from the Northern Arabian Gulf.
abstract: The historical record of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) deposition was reconstructed from the analysis of a dated sediment core collected from a remote area in the northwestern Arabian Gulf not influenced by any point sources of contamination. The sedimentary record showed that PCDD/F concentrations started to increase above pre-industrial background levels in the mid-1960s. This was followed by an exponential increase in concentrations attaining a maximum of 7.5pg/g (dry wt) in the early 1980s and stayed fairly constant thereafter. The homolog profiles in sediments remained fairly consistent throughout the core with PCDD contributing 75% of the ΣPCDD/F concentrations. The homolog profile was dominated by OCDD which contributed approximately 55% of the total dioxins throughout the core. The consistency in the homolog patterns throughout the core suggests that the source of dioxins have remained fairly unchanged throughout the sedimentary record represented by the core.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Pollution and Climate Program, Environment and Life Sciences Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 24885, Safat 13109, Kuwait. Electronic address: bgevao@kisr.edu.kw.
authors.forename: Bondi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gevao
authors.affiliation: Environmental Pollution and Climate Program, Environment and Life Sciences Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 24885, Safat 13109, Kuwait.
authors.forename: Majed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bahloul
authors.affiliation: Environmental Pollution and Climate Program, Environment and Life Sciences Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 24885, Safat 13109, Kuwait.
authors.forename: Karell Martinez
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Guijarro
authors.affiliation: Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, School of Public Health, State University of New York, Empire State Plaza, P. O. Box 509, Albany, NY 12201-0509, United States.
authors.forename: Kurunthachalam
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kannan
mesh_terms: D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D019156:Indian Ocean; D007221:Industry; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Arabian Gulf; Historical records; PCDD/Fs; Radiometric dating; Time trends