WP20 Contaminated Harbor and River Sediment
Wednesday, 16 November 2005: 8:00 AM - 6:30 PM in Exhibit Hall

(KHI-1117-348147) Characterization and distribution of dioxin-like and estrogenic contaminants in sediment from Korean coasts.

Khim, JS¹, Villeneuve, DL², Kannan, K³, Johnson, BG^{3, 4}, Giesy, JP^{5, 6}, Koh, CH¹, ¹ Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea² U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, MN, USA³ State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, USA⁴ University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia⁵ Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA⁶ City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, China

ABSTRACT- Sediments from inland areas and open bays along the Korean coast were analyzed to examine the distribution of dioxin-like and estrogenic compounds. Concentrations of target chemicals varied considerably among locations (Lake Shihwa, Masan Bay, and Kwangyang Bay), and between inland and coastal areas. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of contaminants measured in sediments showed that all the inland locations from Lake Shihwa were highly contaminated and the variations among locations were explained predominantly by the distribution of alkylphenols and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PCA of PAH congener profiles among locations indicated that automobile was a major source for PAHs contamination. Dioxin-like and estrogenic activities associated with sediment from inland sites were approximately 3- and 6-fold, respectively, greater than those associated with open bay locations. The target dioxin-like and estrogenic compounds measured in raw extracts of sediments accounted for approximately 20 and 40% of the activities measured in the sediment extracts. The results suggest that a combination of instrumental and bioanalytical measurement of dioxin-like and estrogenic compounds is a valuable approach to screen, identify, and prioritize risks posed by contaminants in complex environmental matrices.

Key words: PCBs, PAHs, PCA, in vitro bioassay