Distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls in water, sediment and biota of two harbours

The study was carried out at Hamilton harbour, Ont., (on Ontario lake), and Wheatley harbour, Ont., (on Erie lake). Analytical procedure for extraction and clean-up of sediment samples is shown diagrammatically. PCB concentrations ranged from 166 to 14,185 ug per kg (dry weight), for sediments and 58.7 to 262.7 ug per kg (wet weight), for biota. In both harbours, concentrations of lower chlorinated PCB were higher in the water than in sediments. The concentration patterns for homologues in biota were closer to those in the sediments than to those in the water. Higher concentrations of heavy metals were found in sediments in Hamilton harbour than in Wheatley harbour.