Spatial and temporal distribution of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in sediments from Busan Bay between 2003 and 2015

Abstract

POPs are ubiquitous contaminants in different environmental compartments such as air, water, sediment, and wildlife. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are representative POPs nominated by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) since 2001. In our sutdy, the concentrations of PCBs, OCPs, and PBDEs were measure in surface sediments (n=41) collected in 2003 and 2015, to investigate the contamination status, profiles, and temporal trends of these contaminants.