Inflow, levels and the fate of some persistent chlorinated hydrocarbons in the Rijeka Bay area of the Adriatic Sea

Abstract

An investigation of levels of chlorinated hydrocarbons in rainwater, wastewater, surface microlayer and water column in the Rijeka Bay. Yugoslavia was performed. Samples were collected between 1976 and 1987 at several stations located in the Rijeka Bay. Concentrations of chlorinated insecticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in rainwater ranged from 0.69 to 2.43 for DDTs and from 1.3 to 12.2 ng dm −3 for PCBs. Concentrations were much higher in wastewater samples. The values ranged from 0.07 to 104.9 for DDTs and from 0.2 to 17.0 ng dm −3 for PCBs in coastal seawater samples, and from 0.05 to 0.57 ng dm −3 for DDTs and under 0.2–1.7 for PCBs in open seawater samples. Concentrations of chlorinated hydrocarbons were higher in the surface microlayer with ranges from 3.0 to 25.3 ng dm −3 for DDTs and from 28.0 to 597 ng dm −3 for PCBs in coastal seawater samples. and from 0.75 to 4.2 ng dm −3 for DDTs, and under 1.0–52 ng dm −3 for PCBs for open seawater samples. From the results of this investigation of the fate of the measured pollutants in the Rijeka Bay aquatorium, it seems that PCB distribution in the coastal zone is slightly more influenced by sedimentation and evaporation from the microlayer, that is for DDT distribution.