Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface sediments from selected fjords, tidal plains and lakes of the North Spitsbergen

The aim of this study was to examine the pollution level of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and selected chloroorganic pesticides (HCH isomers, DDT and its metabolites, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, endosulfan I and II, and methoxychlor) in surface sediments from selected fjords, tidal plains and takes from the North Svalbard area. The sediments were collected from 34 sampling stations in July 2005. Only endosulfan I and methoxychlor, among selected chloroorganic pesticides, were measured in concentrations near detection limit (LoD) in fourteen sediment samples. The sum of seven PCB congeners varied from < 0.9 to 5.6 ng g(-1) d.w. in sediments from fjords and tidal plains and from < 0.1 to 14.6 ng g(-1) d.w. in sediments from lakes. The concentrations of analysed PAH compounds in surface sediments from lakes were over ten times higher (Sigma(16)PAHs to 429 ng g(-1) d.w.) than in sediments from fjords and tidal plains (Sigma(16)PAHs to 36 ng g(-1) d.w.).