- Summary
- References
- Related Articles
The level and pattern of residues of organochlorine pesticide and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) wereanalyzed in sediment and mussel( Perna viridis) samples from ten coastal sites along the Pearl River Delta, SouthChina. The range of total HCH was ＜ 0.01 to 0.29 ng/g freeze-dried weight in sediment, and ＜ 0.01 to 1.35 ng/glipid weight in mussels. Average total DDTs concentrations ranged from ＜ 0.01 to 1.04 ng/g in sediment, and＜ 0.01 to 148.5 ng/g in mussels. Average total PCB concentrations ranged from 16.4 to 198.6 ng/g in sediment,and from 41 to 729.2 ng/g in mussels. Organochlorine pesticide and PCBs in mussels and sediments presentedsimilar distribution patterns. The regression analysis indicated that PCBs concentrations in mussels were significantlycorrelated ( p ＜ 0.01 ) with concentrations in sediments. However, their concentrations in mussels were several timeshigher than the concentration detected in surrounding sediments. The major fraction of DDT related compoundsmeasured in mussels and sediments was DDD. Based on average PCB concentrations, penta-, hexa-, andtetrachlorobiphenyls were preferentially accumulated by mussels as compared to the average sediment composition.According to the present results, three organochlorine polluted "hot spot" sites, including Victoria Harbour, LingdingYang and Huangmao Sea, were found in the Pearl River estuarine zone. HCHs, DDTs and PCBs in all musselsamples were below the limits of 2, 0.2 and 5.0 μg/g wet weight recommended by the Technical Group ofGuangdong Coastal Zone Resource Comprehensive Survey and U. S. Food and Drug Administration.
