Distribution of Organochlorine Pesticides and PCBs between Aqueous and Suspended Sediment Phases in the Lower Great Lakes Region

1985 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert C. McCrea ◽  
John D. Fischer ◽  
Kenneth W. Kuntz
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Organochlorine Pesticides ◽  
Aqueous Phase ◽  
Pesticide Residues ◽  
Great Lakes Region ◽  
Niagara River ◽  
Organochlorine Contaminants ◽  
Sediment Fraction ◽  
St Lawrence River

Abstract Suspended sediment and extracts of the aqueous phase were collected in 1981 at eleven locations in the Lower Great Lakes Region and analyzed for 17 organochlorine pesticide residues and PCB's. Mirex, and p,p'-DDE when found were predominantly in the suspended sediment fraction, whereas α-BHC, γ-BHC, dieldrin, endrin, p,p'-TDE and trans-chlordane were most abundant in the aqueous phase. Several pesticide residues, notably cis-chlordane, p,p'-DDT and p,p'-methoxychlor were found to have variable distribution characteristics between the suspended sediment and aqueous phases. The greater proportion of organochlorine pesticides present in Lake Erie and the Niagara River were found in the aqueous phase samples, which contained at least 90% of the total pesticide concentration at 5 of the 6 stations sampled. Virtually all of the organochlorine contaminants present in Lake Ontario were found in the aqueous phase, which contained 100% of the pesticides and 91% of total PCB's. Similar results were obtained for the St Lawrence River.

Defining the sources of airborne polychlorinated biphenyls: evidence for the influence of microbially dechlorinated congeners from river sediment?

2000 ◽  
Vol 57 (S1) ◽  
pp. 86-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff Chiarenzelli ◽  
Brian Bush ◽  
Ann Casey ◽  
Ed Barnard ◽  
Bob Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
River Sediment ◽  
Polychlorinated Biphenyl ◽  
Specific Pattern ◽  
Great Lakes Region ◽  
Superfund Sites ◽  
Aroclor 1248 ◽  
Time Period ◽  
A Minor ◽  
St Lawrence River

Sampling on Akwesasne Mohawk Nation lands during 1993 yielded elevated polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations comparable with those of other areas impacted by the discharge of PCBs. The summer air PCB congener- specific pattern in proximity to three Superfund sites along the St. Lawrence River suggests that the volatilization of Aroclor 1248, used extensively at all three downwind sites, is the dominant source. A dechlorinated source, presumably from river sediment and waters, is a minor contributor (~12%) to the pattern. These two sources can account for ~80% of the observed pattern. At a small cove adjacent to an industrial landfill, summer concentrations exceeded those measured in the winter by a factor of 27. At all sample sites during the summer months (June-August), concentrations and chlorine to biphenyl ratios increased, and similar congener-specific PCB patterns were observed. During the colder months, PCB concentrations at all sites decreased but were elevated with respect to those measured elsewhere in the Great Lakes region during the same time period.

Historical versus recent levels of organochlorine contaminants in lamprey larvae of the St. Lawrence River basin, Québec

1995 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 268-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claud B. Renaud ◽  
Klaus L. E. Kaiser ◽  
Michael E. Comba
Keyword(s):  
Organochlorine Pesticides ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Inverse Relationship ◽  
Polychlorinated Biphenyl ◽  
Persistent Organochlorine ◽  
Significant Inverse Relationship ◽  
Pcb Congeners ◽  
Organochlorine Contaminants ◽  
St Lawrence River

This study shows that persistent organochlorine contaminants, including PCBs, reached higher concentrations in lamprey of the St. Lawrence River basin 40 years ago. A comparison was made of the concentrations of 22 organochlorine pesticides and 93 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners in formalin-preserved lamprey ammocoetes collected between 1947–1950 and in 1990 in the St-François and Ste-Anne rivers, St. Lawrence River basin, Québec. Eight pesticides (β-BHC, α-Chlordane, γ-Chlordane, p,p′-DDD, o,p′-DDE, p,p′-DDE, p,p′-DDT, and Heptachlor) reached higher concentrations in the earlier period, with Mirex being the only pesticide found in higher concentrations in 1990. Seventeen PCB congeners (24(27), 28, 98(84), 101, 110(77), 128, 129, 141, 149, 151, 158, 174, 177, 180, 183, 187(182), and 198) had higher concentrations in the 1947–1950 period compared with 1990. A significant inverse relationship was found between the concentration of the various PCB congeners and sampling date. The concentrations of DDT have decreased significantly, while its metabolites, DDD and DDE, have increased significantly over the last 40 years.

Patterns of accumulation of airborne organochlorine contaminants in lichens from the Upper Great Lakes Region of Ontario

1993 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 1201-1210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derek C. G. Muir ◽  
Mark D. Segstro ◽  
Pamela M. Welbourn ◽  
Desiree Toom ◽  
Steven J. Eisenreich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Great Lakes Region ◽  
Upper Great Lakes ◽  
Organochlorine Contaminants

Organochlorine Contaminants in Headwater Peatlands, and Selected Estuary Sites of the Moose River

1986 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert C. McCrea ◽  
Greg M. Wickware
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Deposition ◽  
Organochlorine Pesticides ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Vascular Plants ◽  
Typha Latifolia ◽  
Coastal Marshes ◽  
Surficial Sediments ◽  
Organochlorine Contaminants ◽  
Hexachlorocyclohexane Isomers ◽  
Moose River

Abstract Peatland waters of the Moose River basin, as well as surficial sediments and vascular plants of the estuary were sampled in 1982. Elevated levels of PCBs were found at all five peatland sites; concentrations ranged from 28 to 65 ng/L. Of the seventeen organochlorine pesticides investigated, the hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (a-and y-BHC) were the most prominent with total BHC concentrations ranging from 1.5 to 13.7 ng/L. The presence of these contaminants in ombrotrophic bogs indicated that there was atmospheric deposition of organochlorine contaminants in the basin. Analyses of surficial sediments, collected from tidal flats and coastal marshes, showed that PCBs and organochlorine pesticides were not present. Samples of Triglochin maritima L. seed heads and Typha latifolia L. roots were also free of PCBs.

Zebra Mussels as Biomonitors for Organic Contaminants in the Lower Great Lakes

1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 411-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael E. Comba ◽  
Janice L. Metcalfe-Smith ◽  
Klaus L.E. Kaiser
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Organic Contaminants ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Soft Tissues ◽  
Lake Ontario ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Organic Contamination ◽  
Contamination Levels ◽  
St Lawrence River

Abstract Zebra mussels were collected from 24 sites in Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River between 1990 and 1992. Composite samples of whole mussels (15 sites) or soft tissues (9 sites) were analyzed for residues of organochlo-rine pesticides and PCBs to evaluate zebra mussels as biomonitors for organic contaminants. Mussels from most sites contained measurable quantities of most of the analytes. Mean concentrations were (in ng/g, whole mussel dry weight basis) 154 ΣPCB, 8.4 ΣDDT, 3.5 Σchlordane, 3.4 Σaldrin, 1.4 ΣBHC, 1.0 Σendosulfan, 0.80 mirex and 0.40 Σchlorobenzene. Concentrations varied greatly between sites, i.e., from 22 to 497 ng/g for ΣPCB and from 0.08 to 11.6 ng/g for ΣBHC, an indication that mussels are sensitive to different levels of contamination. Levels of ΣPCB and Σendosulfan were highest in mussels from the St. Lawrence River, whereas mirex was highest in those from Lake Ontario. Overall, mussels from Lake Erie were the least contaminated. These observations agree well with the spatial contaminant trends shown by other biomoni-toring programs. PCB congener class profiles in zebra mussels are also typical for nearby industrial sources, e.g., mussels below an aluminum casting plant contained 55% di-, tri- and tetrachlorobiphenyls versus 31% in those upstream. We propose the use of zebra mussels as biomonitors of organic contamination in the Great Lakes.

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