Abstract
The flux of chlorinated synthetic organic chemicals to the open ocean is important both to organic geochemistry and for environmental health. We have studied over a 2-yr period the deposition of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chlordanes and dieldrin by means of a sediment trap in the Sargasso Sea. We now report that the fluxes of these materials to the deep North Atlantic Ocean were 1.6 µg m−2 yr−1, 0.02 µg m−2 yr−1 and 0.04 µg m−2 yr−1, respectively between 1978 and 1980.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Deuser, W. G., Ross, E. H. & Anderson, R. F. Deep-Sea Res. 28, 495–505 (1981).
Deuser, W. G. & Ross, E. H. Nature 283, 364–365 (1980).
Sanborn, J. R., Francis, B. M. & Metcalf, R. L. U.S. NTIS PB. Rep. PB-272353 (1977).
National Academy of Sciences Polychlorinated Biphenyls (US NAS, Washington DC, 1979)
Bidleman, T. F., Rice, C. P. & Olney, C. E. in Marine Pollutant Transfer (eds Windom, H. L. & Duce, R. A.) 323–352 (D.C. Heath, Lexington, 1976).
Jickells, T. D., Deuser, W. G. & Knap, A. H. Deep-Sea Res. 31, 1169–1178 (1984).
Ittekkot, V., Deuser, W. G. & Degens, E. T. Deep-Sea Res. 31, 1057–1069 (1984).
Knap, A. H. & Jickells, T. D. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 14, 271–274 (1983).
Atlas, E. L. & Giam, C. S. Science 211, 163–165 (1981).
Intergovernmental Oceanographic CommissionTech. Ser. No. 22, (UNESCO, 1982).
Harvey, G. R. & Steinhauer, W. G. in Environmental Biochemistry (ed. Nriagu, J. O.) 203–221 (Ann Arbor, 1976).
Tanabe, S. & Tatsukawa, R. J. oceanogr. Soc. Japan 39, 53–62 (1983).
Hamelink, J. L., Waybrant, R. C. & Ball, R. C. Trans. Am. Fish. Soc. 100, 207–214 (1971).
Masterton, W. L. & Lee, T. P. Envir. Sci. Technol. 6, 919–921 (1972).
Bidleman, T. F., Christensen, E. J., Billings, W. N. & Leonard, R. J. mar. Res. 39, 443–464 (1981).
Burns, K. A., Villeneuve, J. P. & Fowler, S. W. Estuar. coast. Shelf Sci. (in the press).
Osterroht, C. & Smetacek, V. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 2, 27–34 (1980).
Duinker, J. in Methods of Seawater Analysis 2nd edn, Ch. 24.4 (eds Grasshoff, K., Ehrhardt, M. & Kremling, K.) 290–309 (Verlag Chemie, Wienheim, 1983).
Duinker, J. C. & Hillebrand, M. T. J. Envir. Sci. Technol. 17, 449–456 (1983).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Knap, A., Binkley, K. & Deuser, W. Synthetic organic chemicals in the deep Sargasso Sea. Nature 319, 572–574 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/319572a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/319572a0
This article is cited by
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
