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Concentration and Distribution of Hydrophobic Organic Contaminants and Metals in the Estuaries of Ukraine
Citation:
BURGESS, R. M., A. V. Terletskaya, M. V. Milyukin, M. Povolotskii, V. Y. Demshenko, T. A. Bogoslavskaya, Y. V. Topkin, T. V. Vorobyova, A. N. Petrov, A. Lyashenko, AND K. T. HO. Concentration and Distribution of Hydrophobic Organic Contaminants and Metals in the Estuaries of Ukraine. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 58(8):1103-1115, (2009).
Impact/Purpose:
In this baseline study of Ukrainian estuaries, sediments and organisms from the Dnieper and Boh estuaries and Danube Delta on the mainland, Sevastopol and Balaklava Bays on the Crimean Peninsula, and coastal Black Sea along the Crimean Peninsula were collected in 2006. Contaminant analyses included the metals cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, silver, and zinc, the hydrophobic organic chemicals (HOCs) polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), several chlorinated pesticides, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This investigation represents the first extensive study of HOC and metal baseline concentrations and distributions in Ukrainian estuaries and seeks to characterize exposures to aquatic organisms living in these systems.
Description:
In this baseline study of Ukrainian estuaries, sediments and organisms from the Dnieper and Boh estuaries and Danube Delta on the mainland, Sevastopol and Balaklava Bays on the Crimean Peninsula, and coastal Black Sea along the Crimean Peninsula were collected in 2006. Contaminant analyses included the metals cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, silver, and zinc, the hydrophobic organic chemicals (HOCs) polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), several chlorinated pesticides, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). When compared to estuarine sediments globally, the Ukrainian sediments were found to be moderately contaminated. However, several metals, especially mercury, were often shown to be elevated in the tissues of the Ukrainian organisms in comparison to organisms from other estuarine locations. Sediment quality guidelines indicate some of the estuarine sediments are sufficiently contaminated to cause adverse toxicological effects. This investigation represents the first extensive study of HOC and metal baseline concentrations and distributions in Ukrainian estuaries and seeks to characterize exposures to aquatic organisms living in these systems.