Distribution of Polychlorinated Naphthalene Congeners in Environmental and Source-Related Samples

Abstract.

Polychlorinated naphthalene (CN) congener profiles in environmental and source related samples were compared graphically and by principal component analysis. Samples investigated included biological, sediment, water, and air samples, technical polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and polychlorinated naphthalene (PCN) formulations, as well as municipal waste incineration (MWI) fly ash and graphite electrode sludge. Biological samples showed a preferential enrichment of planar, 1,3,5,7-substituted tetra-, penta-, and hexachlorinated congeners and most of these samples showed profiles that displayed some similarity to those found in the technical PCB formulations. Sediment samples representing diffuse pollution, i.e., sediment samples from remote sites, showed an elevated abundance of the planar hexa- and heptaCN congeners (1,2,3,4,6,7-/1,2,3,5,6,7- and 1,2,3,4,5,6,7-). The CN congener profile found in these sediment samples and the two air samples were more similar to the technical PCB formulations than to the investigated MWI and graphite sludge samples. Samples from three PCB contaminated lakes displayed similar congener profiles as Aroclor 1242, 1254 and Clophen A40. Two sediment samples and a pike sample collected from the vicinity of a chloroalkali plant showed profiles that were closely related to the investigated graphite electrode sludge sample. None of the environmental samples displayed profiles similar to low or medium chlorinated technical PCN (Halowax 1099, 1013, and 1014).