Occurrence, source, and ecological risk assessment of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in the water–sediment system of Hangzhou Bay and East China Sea

Abstract

The pollution characteristics, potential sources, and potential ecological risk of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were investigated in the Hangzhou Bay (HZB) and East China Sea (ECS). Total OCPs concentration ranged from 2.62 to 102.07 ng/L and 4.41 to 75.79 μg/kg in the seawater and sediment samples, with PCBs concentration in the range of 0.40–51.75 ng/L and 0.80–45.54 μg/kg, respectively. The OCPs were positively correlated with nutrients, whereas PCBs presented a negative correlation. The newly imported dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) in HZB is mainly the mixing of technical DDT and dicofol sources. The PCB source composition is more likely related to the mixture of Kanechlor 300, 400, Aroclor 1016, 1242, and Aroclor 1248. Risk assessment results indicate that OCPs posed low risk in seawater. The potential risk of DDTs in the sediments is a cause of concern.