The concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sediments from the Fenhe reservoir and watershed were detected at 28 sites in wet and dry seasons. The ∑123PCBs ranged from n.d. to 126.49 ng g−1 dw. The dominated congeners were tri-PCBs (34.29%) and tetra-PCBs (24.05%). In the Fenhe reservoir, ∑123PCBs presented a decreasing trend, while percentages of low chlorinated congeners showed an increasing trend. For the temporal variations, PCBs homologues profiles of sediment samples and spatial distribution of ∑123PCBs for the two periods were similar (with CD = 0.021 and r2 = 0.999 respectively), although PCBs concentrations in the wet season were significantly higher than in the dry season. PCA was applied to analyze the possible sources for PCBs, suggesting that PCBs might be mainly influenced by Aroclor 1016 and 1242. Compared with 3 established sediment quality guidelines, levels of PCBs in sediments of the investigated watershed might have a potential biological impact, especially in the wet season.
Journal of Environmental Monitoring
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