Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Surface Sediments from the Pearl River Delta and Macau

Surface sediments collected at 17 sites in the Pearl River estuary and the region off Macau, People's Republic of China, were analyzed for PCB content. The highest concentration of 485 mu g/kg dry weight was measured in sediment from the Pearl River section running through the industrial district of Guangzhou. The second highest concentration of 339 mu g/kg was recorded in sediment from the inner harbor at Macau. Both of these sediments were highly polluted relative to the bulk of the remaining samples, which had PCB concentrations in the 10-15 mu g/kg range.