Halogenated organic contaminants (HOCs) in sediment from a highly eutrophicated lake, China: Occurrence, distribution and mass inventories

Abstract

Halogenated organic contaminants (HOCs) including 16 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and 37 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determined in 49 surfacial sediments from Chaohu Lake, a highly eutrophicated lake, China. PBDEs were detected in almost samples with the range of the total concentration (defined as Σ16PBDEs) from 0.84 to 86.6ngg−1. Compared with the occurrence of PBDEs in Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta in China, lower percentage of BDE-209 over the concentration of Σ16PBDEs was inferred by the high-volume application of penta-BDE mixture product for local domestic furniture purpose. The total concentration of 37 PCBs (Σ37PCBs) ranged from 0.05 to 3.36ngg−1 with the most detection of PCB-1, -4, -52 and -71. Both the concentrations of Σ16PBDE and Σ37PCB poorly correlated with total organic carbon (TOC), suggesting the significant contribution of phytoplankton organic carbons to sediment TOC. The contamination by PBDEs and PCBs in western region of the lake was significantly more serious than in eastern lake. Our findings about the higher residues of PBDEs and PCBs in sediments at the estuary of Nanfei River compared to the other estuaries also supported the conclusion that urban area (Hefei city) was the main source of PBDEs and PCBs. The comparison with the concentration of HOC in the present study with those in other lacustrine sediments around the world suggested the contamination by PBDEs in Chaohu Lake is at middle of the global concentration range, whereas PCBs is at low end of the global range which could be elucidated by local economic development and historical usage of PBDEs and PCBs. The mass inventories of HOCs in the lake were estimated at 561 and 38kg, which corresponds to only 0.000006% and 0.0001% of these global historical produce volumes, respectively.