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Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are man-made organic chemicals that have adverse effects on aquatic organisms, sometimes altering ecosystem functioning with potential consequences for the coastal carbon cycle. This study assessed PCBs and OCPs in surface sediments of two estuaries with distinct historical land use on the coast of Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil. OCPs such as HCB, aldrin, dieldrin, isodrin, mirex, methoxychlor, endosulfans (α- and β-isomers), HCHs (α-, β-, γ- and δ-isomers) and chlordane-related compounds were below their respective limits of detection in all samples. Mean levels of PCBs in Pina Sound and Suape Estuary were 4.37 and 0.94 ng g-1 dry weight (dw), respectively. Average concentrations of DDTs in those same estuaries were 5.24 and 0.42 ng g-1 dw, respectively. No significant correlations were found between mud and contaminants (either PCBs or DDTs) at Pina Sound. In contrast, PCBs were significantly associated with mud at Suape Estuary. The greater contamination found at Pina Sound is consistent with land use of the urban, densely populated city of Recife. Residues of DDTs found in sediments of both estuaries reflect past local usage. Occasional adverse biological effects may be expected due to the levels of DDTs at several sites in Pina Sound. Lower levels of chemicals such as PCBs in the newly industrialized Suape Estuary suggest that a similarly low impact of legacy pollutants may be expected for future industrial enterprises around the world.

The legacy of man-made organic compounds in surface sediments of Pina Sound and Suape Estuary, northeastern Brazil