Depth Profile of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Sediment Core from Thane Creek Area of Mumbai, India

In recent years there has been a growing concern all over the globe, about marine pollution due to persistent organic pollutants. Sediments, which are an important component of marine environment can serve as sorbents or concentrators for various persistent organic pollutants, including Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs). In this study, the depth profile of accumulated PCBs in Thane Creek sediments of Mumbai, India was examined. The sediment core samples were collected using a gravity corer, processed & analysed for different PCB congeners. The surface segment showed the downward trend for these compounds, indicating a slow phase out of PCBs after the ban. The concentration and composition of different homologues vary at different depths. This paper received the Best Poster Award at the International Symposium on Trace Organic Pollutants in the Environment, held at Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirapalli, Tamilnadu, India, on January 23, 2010