Selected persistent organic pollutants levels in the Ankara River by months

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are banned in almost all countries due to their adverse health effects while they are still present in the environment due to their persistence. As the dissipation and the emission factors of POPs change by temperature and other environmental factors current study aimed to determine selected POPs, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in water and sediment samples collected from 12 stations located in Ankara River, Turkey, for 12 months. C-18 solid-phase extraction technique was used to extract organic pollutants and the analysis were performed using a validated gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method. DDE was the most frequently detected contaminant in water samples. Even though no PCB residues were present in water samples, PCB101 was the most common contaminant in sediment. Although both matrices had the least load of pollutants in winter, there was an increase in presence and concentration of pollutants from late spring to autumn.