Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in sediments from an urban- and industrial-impacted subtropical estuary (Babitonga Bay, Brazil).
Babitonga Bay is a large estuary, which has been under pressure from anthropogenic activities coexisting with a natural area of Atlantic rainforest and mangrove systems. The concentration of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) was determined to evaluate the contamination status and the determine possible pollution sources in the estuary. The ∑DDT (sum of DDT, DDE and DDD concentrations) was the predominant OCP group, with concentrations ranging from <DL (below detection limit) to 122ng g-1. The exceptionally high concentration of p,p'-DDT (80%) found near São Francisco harbour exceeded SQG limits indicating highly toxic conditions in the area that may be attributed to a recent contamination from some local input. In contrast, other sites in the estuary presented higher concentration of the metabolite p,p'-DDE (34%). The results suggest strongly anthropogenic impact in specific sites of this estuary, which need further investigation.
Programa de Pós-graduação em Engenharia de Recursos Hídricos e Ambiental, Universidade Federal do Paraná, 81531-980 Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
Juliane
J
Rizzi
Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, 05508-120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Satie
S
Taniguchi
Centro de Estudos do Mar, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Caixa Postal 61, 83255-000 Pontal do Paraná, PR, Brazil. Electronic address: ccmart@ufpr.br.
César C
CC
Martins
D061006:Bays; D001938:Brazil; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D063366:Estuaries; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000032:analysis*; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010575:Pesticides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
Babitonga Bay; Persistent organic pollutants (POPs); Sediments