Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Distribution characteristics of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in coastal areas of Okinawa Island, Japan

  • Published:
Chinese Journal of Oceanology and Limnology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Surface sediment and seawater samples were collected from coastal areas around Okinawa Island from September 2001 to May 2002. The samples were analyzed for total polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels and homolog composition. The results show that total PCB levels ranged from 0.32 to 128.7 ng/g (dry wt.) in sediment and 1.59 to 2.48 ng/L in seawater. The levels exceed the Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) for water pollution of Japan. The distribution of PCB homolog showed different patterns in the sediments and seawaters. Penta-chlorobiphenyls (CBs) comprised the main congener group in seawater, while hexa-CBs were more abundant homologs in the sediments. The heavily contaminated sites featured higher CBs, including penta-CBs, hexa-CBs, and hepta-CBs, than those in less contaminated sites where tri-CBs dominated. This study provides current distribution and geochemical behavior of PCBs in the coastal areas around Okinawa Island.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andersson, A., P. Wallberg, J. Norback, P. A. Bergqvist and E. Seltam, 1998. Effect of nutrient enrichment on the distribution and sedimentation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in seawater. Hydrophobia. 377: 45–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chou, J. F. and R. A. Griffin, 1986. Solubility and soil mobility of polychlorinated biphenyls. In: Waid, J. S. ed., PCBs and the Environment, Vol. I. CRC Press, Inc., Florida. pp. 101–120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dannenberger, D., 1996. Chlorinated microcontaminants in surface sediments of the Baltic Sea-investigations in the Belt Sea, the Arkon Sea and the Pomeranian Bight. Marine Pollution Bulletin 32: 772–781.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dickerson, K. S. and N. E. Korte, 1994. Polychlorinated Biphenyls and their interaction with environment. Technical Report, USA Department of Energy. pp. 17–20.

  • Dimou, K. N., S. Tsang-Liang, R. I. Hire and R. Miskewitz, 2006. Distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls in the Newark Bay Estuary. Journal of Harzardous Materials 136: 103–110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Erickson, M. D., 1997. Analytical Chemistry of PCBs. CRC Press LLC. USA. Pp. 2

    Google Scholar 

  • Fuoco, R., M. Colombini and C. Ceccarini, 1996. Analytical quality control for determination of polychlorobiphenyles in environmental matrices. Mikrochim. Acta 123: 175–183.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hong, H., L. Xu, L. Zhang, J. C. Chen, Y. S. Wang and T. S. Wan, 1995. Environmental fate and chemistry of organic pollutants in the sediments of Xiamen and Victoria Harbors. Marine Pollution Bulletin 31: 229–236.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hope, B., S. Scatolini, E. Titus and J. Cotter, 1998. Distribution patterns of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners in water, sediments and biota from Midway Atoll (North Pacific Ocean). Marine Pollution Bulletin 34: 548–563.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iwata, H., S. Tanabe, N. Sakai and R. Tatsukawa, 1993. Distribution of persistent organochlorines in the oceanic air and surface seawater and the role of ocean on their global transport and fate. Environ. Sci. Techn. 27: 1 080–1 098.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iwata, H., S. Tanabe, M. Aromoto, N. Sakai and R. Tatsukawa, 1994. Persistent organochlorine residues from the Chukchi Sea, Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. Marine Pollution Bulletin 28: 746–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iwata, H., S. Tanabe, K. Ueda and R. Tatsukawa, 1995. Persistent organochlorine residues in air, water, sediments, and soils from the lake Baikal region, Russia. Environmental Science and Technology 29: 792–801.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeong, G. H., H. J. Kim, Y. J. Joo, Y. B. Kim and H. Y. So, 2001. Distribution characteristics of PCBs in the sediments of the lower Nakdong River, Korea, Chemosphere 44: 1 403–1 411.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kang, Y., G Sheng, J. Fu, B. Mai, G. Zhan, Z. Lin and Y. Min, 2000. Polychlorinated Biphenyls in surface sediments from Pearl River Delta and Macau. Marine Pollution Bulletin 40: 794–779.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, K. and S. Masunaga, 2005. Behavior and source characteristic of PCBs in urban ambient air of Yokohama, Japan. Environmental Pollution 138: 290–298.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, S. K., J. R. Oh, W. J. Shim, D. H. Lee, U. H. Yim, S. H. Hong, Y. B. Shin and D. S. Lee, 2002. Geographical distribution and accumulation features of organochlorine residues in bivalves from coastal areas of South Korea. Marine Pollution Bulletin 45: 268–279.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, K. T., S. Tanabe and C. H. Koh, 2001. Contamination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sediments from Kyeonggi Bay and Nearby Areas, Korea. Marine Pollution Bulletin 42: 273–279.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maskaoui, K., J. L. Zhou, T. L. Zheng, H. Hong and Z. Yu, 2005. Organochlorine micropollutants in the Jiulong River Estuary and Western Xiamen Sea, China. Marine Pollution Bulletin 51: 950–959.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Environment of Japan. Environmental Quality Standards for Water Pollution. http://www.env.go.jp/en/water/wq/wp.html. (Retrieved on Dec. 2006).

  • Murphy, E. M., J. M. Zachara, S. C. Smith, J. L. Philips and T. W. Wiestma, 1994. Interaction of hydrophobic organic compounds with mineral-bound humic substances. Environ. Sci. Tech. 28: 1 291–1 299.

    Google Scholar 

  • Numata M., T. Yarita, Y. Aoyagi, M. Yamazaki and A. Takatsu, 2005. Investigation of saponification for determination of polychlorinated biphenyls in marine sediments. Chemosphere 58: 865–875.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pierard, C., H. Budzinski and P. Garriguess, 1996. Grain size distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls in coastal sediments. Environmental Science and Technology 30: 2 776–2 783.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramesh, A., S. Tanabe, H. Murase, A. N. Sabramanian and T. R. Atsukawa, 1991. Distribution and behavior of persistent organochlorine Insecticides in Paddy soil and sediments in Tropical environment: A case study in south India. Environmental Pollution 74: 293–307.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riley, C. E., 2001. Method development and implementation for co-planar PCBs. Waste Management 21: 465–470.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schulz-Bull, D. E., J. Petrick and C. J. Duinker, 1991. Polychlorinated biphenyls in North Seawater. Marine Chemistry 36: 365–384.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheikh, M. A., T. Oomori, Y. Odo, 2002. Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Sub-tropical Marine Environment: A case study in Seawaters collected around Ryukyu Islands, Japan. Bulletin of Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus 74: 65–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tashiro, Y., K. Takahira, H. Osada, H. Fujii and A. Tokuyama, 2004. Distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), lead, and cadmium in Manko Tidal flat, Okinawa. Limnology 5: 177–183.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization, 1992. Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Polychlorinated Terphenyls (PCTs). Health and Safety Guide. Technical Report. International Programme on Chemical Safety, Health and Safety Guide No. 68. GENEVA.

  • Zhou, J. L., K. Maskaoui, W. Y. Qui, H. S. Hong and Z. D. Wang, 2001. Polychlorinated biphenyls congeners and organochlorine insecticides in the water column and sediments of Daya Bay, China. Environmental Pollution 113: 373–384.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine and Environmental Science, Graduate School of Engineering and Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara-Town, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan

    M. A. Sheikh

  2. Detachment 3, Air Force Institute for Operational Health (AFIOH), Armstrong Laboratory, USA

    F. Nakama

  3. Department of Chemistry, Biology and Marine Science, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara-Town, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan

    T. Oomori

Authors
  1. M. A. Sheikh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. F. Nakama
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. T. Oomori
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. A. Sheikh.

Additional information

This study was conducted with financial support from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan as a Msc. Scholarship for Special Program of Marine Science awarded to Sheikh, M.A. (from 2000–2002), and 21st Century COE program of the University of the Ryukyus, awarded to Sheikh, M. A. as a visiting researcher from March–May 2005).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sheikh, M.A., Nakama, F. & Oomori, T. Distribution characteristics of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in coastal areas of Okinawa Island, Japan. Chin. J. Ocean. Limnol. 25, 247–253 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-007-0247-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-007-0247-x

Keyword

Search

Navigation