Effects of extreme tidal range on characteristics of polychlorinated biphenyl distribution in sediment of industrial Incheon North Harbor, Korea

Abstract

Abstract-This study investigated the influence of the high tidal range on the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels and the compositional characteristics in the sediments of the North Incheon Harbor basin, Korea. The results indicated that the high tidal range could induce complicated effects on the distribution and the compositional characteristics of PCBs. Significant differences in the total PCB concentration were found between the tidal and subtidal zones. Higher total PCBs in the tidal zone established a total PCB gradient in a transversal direction along the harbor basin. The large tidal range created tidal currents strong enough to grade the sediment particles, establishing a gradient of total PCBs corresponding to an observed sediment particle size along the longitudinal direction of the basin. Heterogeneous congener patterns were observed in some parts of the tidal zone where diverse physicochemical and microbiological conditions are to be expected. However, tidally driven, active sediment transport promoted spatial homogeneity in the congener pattern. Sedimentation rate of suspended solids appeared to overwhelm any induced heterogeneity in the PCB congener pattern. Consequently, the congener pattern within the harbor basin was fairly uniform and similar to that of a dominant input source.

Characteristics of trophic transfer of polychlorinated biphenyls in marine organisms in Incheon North Harbor, Korea

“…1). A similar gradient was observed in sediment [29]. The levels of ΣPCBs expressed on a dry‐weight and a lipid‐weight basis (or per unit volume for water and seawater) in the samples are summarized in Table 1.…”

“…The details of the study area were presented previously [29]. Briefly, Incheon North Harbor is a part of the Incheon Harbor in Kyeonggi Bay, which is located on the central western coast of the Korean peninsula facing the Yellow Sea.…”

“…For two sizes of goby (12.9 ± 0.5 cm, n = 7; 16.4 ±1.0 cm, n = 9), we collected and analyzed muscle, gut, and liver tissues. Detailed descriptions of the surface sediment and seawater sampling are provided elsewhere [29].…”

“…The extraction was repeated twice with fresh dichloromethane. Additional details regarding the extraction and cleanup procedures of biota, sediment, and water samples and of gas chromatography are available elsewhere [29].…”

“…In an earlier work [29], the characteristics of PCB contamination of sediment and seawater were investigated in Incheon North Harbor basin, which is one of the most contaminated sites in Korea. The present work focuses on the contamination of biota and examines the occurrence of trophic transfer and its characteristics as influenced by main PCB uptake route, the presence/absence of superhydrophobicity in trophic transfer and bioaccumulation of PCBs, and the degree of bioaccumulation with respect to equilibrium with seawater.…”