title: Assessment of DDT, HCH and PAH contamination and associated ecotoxicological risks in surface sediments of coastal Tema Harbour (Ghana).
abstract: This study assessed DDTs, HCHs and PAHs contamination in sediments from the Tema Harbour (Ghana) and the associated ecotoxicological risks. The results showed widespread DDTs, HCHs and PAHs contamination in the harbour sediments with mean concentrations ranging from 6.0-12.8, 2.8-12.7 and 2750-5130μg·kg-1d·w, respectively. The silt-clay and total organic carbon contents of the sediments poorly correlated with the pollutant concentrations. DDTs and HCHs contamination relate to past use of DDT and lindane, which under the anoxic harbour conditions resulted in disproportionately higher concentrations of p,p'-DDD and γ-HCH in the sediments. No conclusion could be drawn on the sources of PAHs as either petrogenic or pyrogenic. The pollutant concentrations in the harbour sediments, particularly γ-HCH, may pose high ecotoxicological risks. In comparison to a previous study, this study indicates there has been a considerable reduction in PAH contamination in the Tema Harbour since the last major oil spill in 2007.
authors.affiliation: UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, PO Box 3015, 2601 DA Delft, The Netherlands; Department of Marine and Fisheries Sciences, University of Ghana, PO Box LG 99, Legon, Accra, Ghana. Electronic address: boseibotwe@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: Benjamin O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Botwe
authors.affiliation: UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, PO Box 3015, 2601 DA Delft, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kelderman
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine and Fisheries Sciences, University of Ghana, PO Box LG 99, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Elvis
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nyarko
authors.affiliation: UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, PO Box 3015, 2601 DA Delft, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Piet N L
authors.initials: PNL
authors.lastname: Lens
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D003634:DDT / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D005869:Ghana; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane / Q000032:analysis; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000032:analysis*; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010575:Pesticides; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane; D003634:DDT
keywords: DDT; Ecotoxicological risk; HCH; Sediment; Tema Harbour; USEPA priority PAHs