Occurrence and spatial characteristics of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sediments from rivers in the western Niger delta of Nigeria impacted by urban and industrial activities

Abstract

The characteristic concentrations of 28 PCB congeners, their spatial distributions, sources, and associated risks to the ecosystem were investigated in sediments of some rivers around a glass industry and power generating plant in the Niger Delta of Nigeria. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was applied for the identification and quantification of PCBs in sediments from these rivers. The Ʃ28 PCB concentrations (dry weight) in sediments ranged from 1520 to 3540 ng g−1 for the Afiesere River, 976–5670 ng g−1 for the Edor River, and from 1440 to 6340 ng g−1 for the Okpare River. The homologue distribution patterns in sediments from these rivers indicated that low-chlorinated (2 Cl to 5 Cl) PCBs were more dominant than high-chlorinated (6 Cl to 10 Cl) PCBs with tri-, penta- and deca-PCBs as the top homologues. The PCB source analyses suggested that the PCB contamination of these river sediments could have originated from Aroclor mixtures, paints, pigments and other inadvertent sources. The risk assessment indicated a high risk to the ecosystem.