Sorption of polychlorinated biphenyls on marine sediments

Abstract

The sediment‐water partition coefficients of 18 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners were determined for marine sediments whose organic matter had been oxidatively removed. The results were compared with those previously determined for the same but untreated sediments. The removal of organic matter resulted in a decrease of the partition coefficients, more marked for those congeners with a relative lower degree of chlorination. The sorption of PCBs on the mineral particles whose organic matter has been removed becomes increasingly significant as the hydrophobicity of the PCBs and the percentage of silt‐clay fraction of the sediments increase.