Sedimentary record of hydrophobic organic compounds in relation to regional economic development: A study of Taihu Lake, East China

Sediment cores taken from Taihu Lake, East China were analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The results showed a general sharp increase of HCH, DDT, PAH and PBDE concentrations in the surface layers, corresponding to a sedimentation time of 1980 and 1990 onward in the Meiliang Bay and Xukou Bay, respectively. The source of PAHs has largely transferred from petrogenic to pyrogenic origin, and good relationships were observed between sediment PAH concentrations and the regional gross domestic product. The sharp increase of DDTs in recent years may be related to the mobilization and migration of these chemicals from surface soil to lake sediment, as a result of enhanced soil run-off due to large scale land transform, as well as the contribution of current usage of dicofol and DDT-containing anti-fouling paints.