Characterization of the PAC profile in settling particulates from the urban waters of Stockholm.

Abstract

Polynuclear aromatic compounds (PAC) that enter the aquatic environment either are, or quickly become, adsorbed to particulate matter of anthropogenic and natural origin, and a useful technique for sampling these settling particulates is the use of sediment traps. These vertically-transported particulates which are collected, correspond to the bulk material of the surface bottom sediments. The sampling area in this investigation is located in the waters of central Stockholm. This area is affected by one of the most densely populated urban districts in the Baltic region, inhabited by more than one and a half million people. The total import of petroleum products for consumption to the area in 1985 was 2.5 x 10/sup 6/m/sup 3/. Several power plants and municipal incinerators are situated in the region and several ports and oil terminals are located in the immediate vicinity of the sampling site.