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Low volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons in aquatic sediments in Berlin and surrounding areas
Author(s) -
Terytze K.,
Mende W.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
land degradation and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.403
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1099-145X
pISSN - 1085-3278
DOI - 10.1002/ldr.3400040419
Subject(s) - environmental chemistry , sediment , sorption , pollution , saturation (graph theory) , organic matter , environmental science , contamination , chemistry , adsorption , geology , ecology , geomorphology , organic chemistry , mathematics , combinatorics , biology
Low volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons, especially DDT and HCH, have been used as indicators of the level of pollution in aquatic sediments. These compounds were present in all the sediment samples analysed in this study by gas chromatography. Enrichment factors between the water and sediment were high (K d = 85‐108 for DDT), documenting the strong geoaccumulation of toxic chlorinated hydrocarbons. in contrast with the generally held view, no linear relationship was observed between the concentration of HCH and PCBs and the organic matter content of the sediment. the application of the EVOLON model to determine the kinetics of sorption clearly showed a saturation value. the sorbed amount of low volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons depends to a large extent on the amount of organic matter on the surface of the sediment particles.