Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in sediments from an urban- and industrial-impacted subtropical estuary (Babitonga Bay, Brazil)

Babitonga Bay is a large estuary, which has been under pressure from anthropogenic activities coexisting with a natural area of Atlantic rainforest and mangrove systems. The concentration of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) was determined to evaluate the contamination status and the determine possible pollution sources in the estuary. The Sigma DDT (sum of DDT, DDE and DDD concentrations) was the predominant OCP group, with concentrations ranging from