Temporal occurrence and sources of persistent organic pollutants in suspended particulate matter from the most heavily polluted river mouth of Lake Chaohu, China.
The Nanfei River is by many measures the most heavily polluted tributary to Lake Chaohu. In this study, the temporal occurrence and sources of four classes of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), in suspended particulate matter (SPM) from the river mouth were investigated monthly during 2014. Results show that concentrations of all four POPs in SPM were higher than those in the sediment of Lake Chaohu. PBDEs (26.7 ng g-1dry weight (dw)) were originated mainly from commercial deca-BDE mixtures. PCB concentrations (1.336 ng g-1dw) were lower than those of sediments in many other water bodies worldwide. PAHs (2597 ng g-1dw) and OCPs (57.38 ng g-1dw) were the most common POPs. PAHs mainly had high molecular weights and originated from pyrolytic sources, with a small proportion of petrogenic origin. The predominant OCPs were DDTs, heptachlorepoxides, dieldrin, hexachlorocyclohexanes, hexachlorobenzene, and chlordanes. Most OCPs originated from historical use, except lindane. Generally, of all the POPs studied, those of primary ecological concern should be acenaphthene, fluorene, DDTs, and chlordanes. Higher concentrations of POPs were detected during winter and spring than in summer and autumn, probably because of the high river flow during the rainy season. The high concentration of POPs in the riverine SPM and the fractionation of POPs in the water and SPM of the river should be a focal point in the future study of Lake Chaohu.
State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China.
Cheng
C
Liu
State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, PR China.
Lei
L
Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, PR China. Electronic address: cxfan@niglas.ac.cn.
Chengxin
C
Fan
MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China.
Fuliu
F
Xu
State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, PR China.
Kaining
K
Chen
State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, PR China.
Xiaozhi
X
Gu
D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D060106:Lakes / Q000737:chemistry*; D052638:Particulate Matter; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
D052638:Particulate Matter; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
Lake Chaohu; Nanfei river; Persistent organic pollutants; Potential risk; Riverine; Suspended particulate matter