Abstract
Abstract. Environmental pollution by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is a key cause for concern about river quality because of their low degradation rates leading to their accumulation in sediments and living organisms. An original interdisciplinary work was conducted along the four main French rivers (Seine, Rhône, Loire and Garonne rivers), which flow into major European seas. We completed a dataset based on sediment analyses provided by monitoring agencies, port authorities and research teams on different solid matrices (sediment cores, bed and flood deposits, suspended particulate matter and dredged sediments). This dataset focused on the seven indicator PCBs and their sum (ΣPCBi) from 1945 to 2018 (nΣPCBi =1416). Special effort was put into the quality control to provide robust spatio-temporal information. Taking into account hydrological and human drivers, we outlined two main pollution trends: (1) from 1945 to 1975, a quick increase in ΣPCBi (up to 4 mg kg−1 dry weight, dw) and a sharp decrease in the 1980s on the Seine and Loire rivers and (2) increasing but moderate ΣPCBi levels (50 to 150 µg kg−1 dw) followed by a decline after the 1990s on the Rhône and Garonne rivers. In addition to these patterns, PCB emissions from urban and industrial areas or accidental events were significant in each river. Finally, when calculating specific flux, the Rhône exhibited the uppermost ΣPCBi load (up to 12 µgm-2yr-1 in 1977–1987), at least 25 % higher than those of the Seine and Loire rivers, while the Garonne showed a very low flux. In western Europe, we confirmed that the Rhône, Seine and Loire rivers contribute significantly to the PCB contamination of the seas, while French specific ΣPCBi fluxes are 2 orders of magnitude lower than those found in American or Asian rivers. The dataset is available at https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.904277 (Dendievel et al., 2019).
Highlights
The environmental pollution of river sediments due to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) became a concern as early as in the 1970s (Dennis, 1976; Müller, 1986)
Sediment contamination was assessed by collecting PCBi analysis results and associated ancillary data at gauging stations located on the main stream and monitored for regulatory or scientific purposes
The PCBi distributions in each solid matrix were distinguished into two groups characterised by different hydro-sedimentary settings: (1) “deposited sediments” including bed or flood deposits and core sediments and (2) “mobile particles” including suspended particulate matter (SPM) and dredged sediments
Summary
The environmental pollution of river sediments due to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) became a concern as early as in the 1970s (Dennis, 1976; Müller, 1986). PCBs were widely used as heat transfer fluids and insulating fluids for transformers and capacitors, and they had been utilised as wood, paper, plastic or ink additive since 1930 worldwide (Breivik et al, 2002a; De Voogt and Brinkman, 1997) Due to their high toxicity and their long persistence in the environment, the use of PCBs was banned in the USA (Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976) as well as in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries. In charge of the local sampling and analyses, the WAs focused on seven PCB congeners (PCB-28, PCB-52, PCB-101, PCB-118, PCB-138, PCB-153, PCB-180) and their sum, referred to as PCBi in the remainder of the text These PCB indicators are generally found in high concentrations in the environment (e.g. sediment and biota), as well as in human food (IARC, 2016). Taken at the worldwide scale, have led to a significant reduction in the quantity of PCBs found in the environment (Breivik et al, 2007; Wania and Su, 2004)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
