Mining Related PCB in Wetland Sediments of the River Lippe (North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany)

Abstract

This study aims to detect PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls) and their distribution in river sediments of the river Lippe near a discharge point of mine drainage water raised from the coalmine Haus Aden. Recommendations from former literature studies, European and German-Industry-Standards (DIN) standards were followed to conduct a reproducible field study. The sampling, processing, and analysis of the sediment and core samples were delineated in detail explored in order to open up a new discussion about the methodical execution of environmental examinations of PCB. The results show that the normally executed standardization processes to interpret PCB concentrations do not work as assumed. This refers especially to the normalization of the content of organic carbon in the sediment. The heterogeneity of observed concentrations dominates and the concentration fluctuates enormously instead of following an often-described correlation between PCB and organic carbon or the percentage of fine grain. Congener profiles, which show the amounts of the six indicator congeners, do not show an obvious trend or indicate one corresponding contamination source. The findings invoke a new debate and examinations concerning deposition and adsorption processes of PCB in sediments, especially against the background of flooding the derelict mines of the Ruhr district in the coming decades.