Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in harbor sediments from Sea Lots, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

► Sediments were sampled from south Port-of-Spain Harbor on the west coast of Trinidad at Sea Lots. ► Total PCB concentrations in Sea Lots sediments ranged from 62–601 ng/g (dry weight). ► Total OCP concentrations at Sea Lots ranged from 44.5–145 ng/g dw. ► Sea Lots concentrations of PCBs and of some OCPs were above the Canadian interim sediment quality guidelines. ► To date this data is the first report on the levels of organochlorine compounds of PCBs from Trinidad and Tobago. Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were determined in nearshore marine surficial sediments from three locations in Trinidad. Sediments were sampled at Sea Lots on the west coast, in south Port-of-Spain Harbor, south of Sea Lots at Caroni Lagoon National Park, and on Trinidad’s east coast at Manzanilla. Total PCB concentrations in Sea Lots sediments ranged from 62 to 601ng/g (dry weight {dw}), which was higher than at Caroni and Manzanilla, 13 and 8ng/g dw, respectively. Total OCP concentrations at Sea Lots were ranged from 44.5 to 145ng/g dw, compared with 13.1 and 23.8n/g (dw), for Caroni and Manzanilla respectively. The concentrations of PCBs and of some OCPs in sediments from Sea Lots were above the Canadian interim sediment quality guidelines. To date, this data is the first report on the levels of PCBs and other organochlorine compounds from Trinidad and Tobago.