文摘
Organochlorine compounds present in effluents fromthepulp and paper industry are regarded as a potent threatto the environment. Total organohalogen concentrationsarecommonly measured in sediment as extractable organichalogen (EOX). Spacial and vertical levels of EOXweredetermined in areas likely to be affected byorganochlorinepollution in Lake Saimaa, along the Kymi River, and aroundthe Gulf of Finland. High levels of EOX were found insamples from southern Lake Saimaa and the Kymi River.Spacial EOX distribution indicated that there istransportof organochlorines from the Kymi River to the eastern Gulfof Finland, and EOX results from the Kotka area showedthat substantial, widespread, organochlorine pollutionpersists30 km off the coast. Sediments from Vyborg Bay(Russia)and from Tallinn Bay and Ihasalu Bay (Estonia) containedlow amounts of EOX. Results from 73 stationsindicatedthat pollution from chlorine bleaching and municipal waterchlorination remains localized. Vertical EOXdistributionsin sediment samples from the whole Gulf of Finland andresultsfrom a sediment trap experiment in the open Gulf suggestthat naturally produced halogenated compounds arecontributing to surface sediment concentrations and,furthermore, far exceed the anthropogeniccontribution.