TY - JOUR

T1 - Inside-sediment partitioning of PAH, PCB and organochlorine compounds and inferences on sampling and normalization methods

AU - Opel, Oliver

AU - Palm, Wolf-Ulrich

AU - Steffen, Dieter

AU - Ruck, Wolfgang

N1 - Issue 4, April 2011

PY - 2011/4

Y1 - 2011/4

N2 - Comparability of sediment analyses for semivolatile organic substances is still low. Neither screening of the sediments nor organic-carbon based normalization is sufficient to obtain comparable results. We are showing the interdependency of grain-size effects with inside-sediment organic-matter distribution for PAH, PCB and organochlorine compounds. Surface sediment samples collected by Van-Veen grab were sieved and analyzed for 16 PAH, 6 PCB and 18 organochlorine pesticides (OCP) as well as organic-matter content. Since bulk concentrations are influenced by grain-size effects themselves, we used a novel normalization method based on the sum of concentrations in the separate grain-size fractions of the sediments. By calculating relative normalized concentrations, it was possible to clearly show underlying mechanisms throughout a heterogeneous set of samples. Furthermore, we were able to show that, for comparability, screening at <125 μm is best suited and can be further improved by additional organic-carbon normalization.

AB - Comparability of sediment analyses for semivolatile organic substances is still low. Neither screening of the sediments nor organic-carbon based normalization is sufficient to obtain comparable results. We are showing the interdependency of grain-size effects with inside-sediment organic-matter distribution for PAH, PCB and organochlorine compounds. Surface sediment samples collected by Van-Veen grab were sieved and analyzed for 16 PAH, 6 PCB and 18 organochlorine pesticides (OCP) as well as organic-matter content. Since bulk concentrations are influenced by grain-size effects themselves, we used a novel normalization method based on the sum of concentrations in the separate grain-size fractions of the sediments. By calculating relative normalized concentrations, it was possible to clearly show underlying mechanisms throughout a heterogeneous set of samples. Furthermore, we were able to show that, for comparability, screening at <125 μm is best suited and can be further improved by additional organic-carbon normalization.

KW - Chemistry

KW - Organic pullutants

KW - Grain-size partitioning

KW - Organic carbon

KW - Sediment

KW - Normalization

KW - Grain-size partitioning

KW - Normalization

KW - Organic carbon

KW - Organic pollutants

KW - Sediment

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79951512193&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.envpol.2010.12.014

DO - 10.1016/j.envpol.2010.12.014

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 159

SP - 924

EP - 931

JO - Environmental Pollution

JF - Environmental Pollution

SN - 0269-7491

IS - 4

ER -