Distribution, Sources and Risk Assessment of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Sediments from Beiluo River

Abstract

The distribution and source of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) pollution in the Beiluo River, the secondary tributary of the Yellow River, still remain unclear. With the purpose of determining the distribution, origins, and pollution levels of PCBs and their consequences on ecological risks, the concentrations of 27 PCBs at 17 locations in the sediments of the Beiluo River were examined in this study. The results showed that the mass concentrations of ∑PCBs in the sediment ranged from 0.12 to 1.25 ng∙g−1 (DW), with the highest point at sampling site B13 downstream of the river. Compared to most river sediments, both domestically and internationally, the concentration of PCBs in the sediment of the Beiluo River was at a low level, with 10-PCB and 6-PCB as the main components, indicating that the PCBs that are difficult to volatilise and degrade are more likely to remain in the sediment. The origins of PCBs in the sediments of the Beiluo River were examined by using positive matrix factorisation (PMF). The results revealed that the contamination of PCBs in the sediments of the Beiluo River mainly resulted from industrial emissions, technical PCB mixtures, and coal and wood combustion. The results of the ecological risk assessment indicated that PCBs in the sediments of the study area rarely contribute to adverse biological effects and the potential low risk to the environment.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sediments and fish from dredged tributaries and creeks of river Ethiope, South-South, Nigeria: sources, risk assessment and bioaccumulation

“…To compare the evaluated PCBs concentrations with reports from other studies is complex due to differences in PCBs congeners selected and the statistical methods used. However, comparing the total PCBs concentrations observed in this study (252 -3,977 µg/kg) with other related studies showed that the result obtained in this study was relatively higher for sediments in Nigeria 0.026 -0.198 µg/kg [28], China 1.75 -92.27 µg/kg [29], China 16.15 -477.85 µg/kg [30], and China 0.12 -1.25 µg/kg [26]. There is a significant statistical difference of p < 0.01 and p > 0.05 between Sites across seasons.…”

“…Where C i f = the pollution index of a pollutant, C i = the determined concentration of contaminants in sediments, ni = the global contaminant level in the pre-industrial sediments for each pollutant (10 µg/kg) and Ti = toxic response parameters for each pollutant in the study according to the standardization developed by Montuori et al [16] and Han et al [26]. The classification of the risk levels follows Eri < 40 is a minor ecological hazard, 40 < Eri is a medium ecological hazard, 80 ≤ Eri ≤ 40 is a strong ecological hazard, 160 ≤ Eri ≤ 320 is a very strong ecological hazard, Eri > 320 is pole strength ecological hazard [26].…”

Distribution, Sources, and Risk Assessment of Organochlorine Pesticides in Water from Beiluo River, Loess Plateau, China

“…The surrogate recoveries were 69.46% ± 32.81%, 82.14% ± 6.46%, and 79.00% ± 12.71% for TCMX, PCB65, and PCB155, respectively. The results showed that this experiment was feasible for the treatment of samples [ 18 ].…”

“…As a result, agricultural products such as pesticides and fertilizers are used in large quantities, leading to serious organic pollution in the Beiluo River Basin, threatening the environment and human health in the basin [16]. Currently, studies of this basin mainly focus on monitoring indicator organisms (such as zooplankton) and water quality evaluation [16,17], while there are few studies on organic pollution [18]. Magulova et al proposed that POP monitoring data are essential to establish a global baseline of POP levels and predict changes in POP concentrations [19].…”

“…Magulova et al proposed that POP monitoring data are essential to establish a global baseline of POP levels and predict changes in POP concentrations [ 19 ]. To the best of our knowledge, previous studies have investigated PAHs and PCBs in the Beiluo River Basin, but little is known about OCP pollution in the surface water of the basin [ 14 , 18 ]. Therefore, monitoring and investigation of Beiluo River OCPs were necessary.…”