Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Urban Lake Sediments and Migration Potential from Urban Stormwater in Bergen, Norway
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 141, Issue 11
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations from an age-dated core extracted from urban lake sediments in Bergen, Norway reflect the time period from the global introduction of PCB to the legal ban of their usage in Norway (1980). PCB concentrations in the sediment deposited after the ban of PCB usage strongly suggests that there are sources still active in the urban environment today. Earlier studies and results within this study imply that these sources could be standing building mass. The main pollution pathway from source to recipient is implied to be stormwater. This study presents a long-term measured amount of suspended particles in urban stormwater. An impervious, small urban catchment () releases almost 800 kg of suspended solids per year in stormwater. This suggests that the whole drainage area of the lake potentially contributes 9.5 t of particles via stormwater into the lake each year, potentially carrying 0.4 g of .
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Knut Krzywinski from the University of Bergen and Kari Loe Hjelle from Bergen Museum for assistance with the core sampling as well as staff from Bergen City for help during the stormwater study. Iain Henderson corrected the English.
References
Alston, J. F. (2011). “Identification of PCB-sources and evaluation of the risk of spreading in Puddefjorden, Bergen.” Master’s thesis, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Norwegian Univ. of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
Andersson, M., Ottesen, R. T., and Volden, T. (2004). “Building materials as a source of PCB pollution in Bergen, Norway.” Sci. Total Environ., 325(1–3), 139–144.
Andersson, M., and Volden, T. (2002a). “PCB in external walls of buildings in Tromsø.”, Geological Survey of Norway.
Andersson, M., and Volden, T. (2002b). “PCB in external walls of St Olavs hospital, Trondheim.”, Geological Survey of Norway, Trondheim, Norway.
Andersson, M., Volden, T., Haugland, T., and Ottesen, R. T. (2002). “PCB in external walls of buildings and green areas in Bergen.”, Geological Survey of Norway.
Andersson, M., Volden, T., Jartun, M., and Ottesen, R. T. (2003). “PCB in external walls of buildings and green areas in eastern Oslo.”, Geological Survey of Norway.
Appleby, P. G. (2001). “Chronostratigraphic techniques in recent sediments.” Tracking environmental change using lake sediments. Vol. 1: Basin analysis, coring and chronological techniques, W. M. Last and J. P. Smol, eds., Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, Netherlands, 171–204.
Appleby, P. G., Oldfield, F., Thompson, R., Huttenen, P., and Tolonen, K. (1979). “ dating of annually laminated lake sediments from Finland.” Nature, 280(5717), 53–55.
Bergen City. (1998). “Sludge plan for Bergen, main report.” 〈https://www.bergen.kommune.no/bk/multimedia/archive/00022/Slamplan_hovedrappor_22726a.pdf〉 (Mar. 10, 2015).
Bergen City. (2006). “Main plan for drainage and water environment 2005-2015.” 〈https://www.bergen.kommune.no/bk/multimedia/archive/00010/Hovedplan_avl_p_og_v_10341a.pdf〉 (Mar. 10, 2015).
Berglund, O., Larsson, P., Ewald, G., and Okla, L. (2001). “Influence of trophic status on PCB distribution in lake sediments and biota.” Environ. Pollut., 113(2), 199–210.
Besse, R. E., Van Metre, P. C., and Wilson, J. T. (2005). “Distribution and sources of polychlorinated biphenyls in Woods Inlet, Lake Worth, Fort Worth, Texas, 2003.”, 〈http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2005/5064/pdf/sir2005-5064.pdf〉 (Mar. 10, 2015).
Bingman, I. (1983). “Handling of surface water. Planning and environmental effects.”, Allmänna förlaget, Stockholm, AB.
BNL (Federation of Norwegian Construction Industries). (2009). “Identification of PCBs in buildings from Norway.” Rep. Byggenæringens Landsforening, 〈http://www.miljodirektoratet.no/old/klif/publikasjoner/kjemikalier/1881/ta1881.pdf〉 (Mar. 10, 2015).
Boers, J. P., Leer, E. W. B., Gramberg, L., and Koning, J. D. (1994). “Levels of coplanar PCB in flue gases of high temperature processes.” Fresenius J. Anal. Chem., 348(1–2), 163–166.
Brown, J. N., and Peake, B. M. (2006). “Sources of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in urban stormwater runoff.” Sci. Total Environ., 359(1–3), 145–155.
Butler, D., and Karunaratne, S. H. P. G. (1995). “The suspended solids trap efficiency of the roadside gully pot.” Water Resour., 29(2), 719–729.
Cornelissen, G., Pettersen, A., Nesse, E., Eek, E., Helland, A., and Breedveld, G. D. (2008). “The contribution of urban runoff to organic contaminant levels in harbour sediments near two Norwegian cities.” Mar. Pollut. Bull., 56(3), 565–573.
Curren, J., Bush, S., Ha, S., Stenstrom, M. K., Lau, S.-L., and Suffet, I. H. M. (2011). “Identification of subwatershed sources for chlorinated pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in the Ballona Creek watershed.” Sci. Total Environ., 409(13), 2525–2533.
Davis, A. P., Shokouhian, M., and Ni, S. (2001). “Loading estimates of lead, copper, cadmium and zinc in urban runoff from specific sources.” Chemosphere, 44(5), 997–1009.
Eidem, B. (2012). “Dispersion of pollutants to Stavanger harbour.” Master’s thesis, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Norwegian Univ. of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
Eriksson, E., et al. (2007). “Selected stormwater priority pollutants—A European perspective.” Sci. Total Environ., 383(1–3), 41–51.
Frignani, M., Bellucci, L. G., Carraro, C., and Favotto, M. (2004). “Accumulation of polychlorinated biphenyls in sediments of the Venice Lagoon and the industrial area of Porto Marghera.” Chemosphere, 54(10), 1563–1572.
Gevao, B., Hamilton-Taylor, J., and Jones, K. C. (2000). “Towards a complete mass balance and model for PCBs and PAHs in a small rural lake, Cumbria, U.K.” Limnol. Oceanogr., 45(4), 881–894.
Grapher version 9 [Computer software]. 〈http://www.goldensoftware.com/products/grapher〉.
Gromaire-Mertz, M. C., Garnaud, S., Gonzalez, A., and Chebbo, G. (1999). “Characterisation of urban runoff pollution in Paris.” Water Sci. Technol., 39(2), 1–8.
Hellman, S. J., and Puhakka, J. A. (2001). “Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination of apartment building and its surroundings by construction block sealants.”, Espoo, Finland, 123–127.
Howell, N. L., Lakshmanan, D., Rifai, H. S., and Koenig, L. (2011). “PCB dry and wet weather concentration and load comparisons in Houston-area urban channels.” Sci. Total Environ., 409(10), 1867–1888.
Huang, H., and Buekens, A. (1995). “On the mechanisms of dioxin formation in combustion processes.” Chemosphere, 31(9), 4099–4117.
Hwang, H.-M., and Foster, G. D. (2008). “Polychlorinated biphenyls in stormwater runoff entering the tidal Anacostia River, Washington, DC, through small urban catchments and combined sewer outfalls.” J. Environ. Sci. Health Part A, 43(6), 567–575.
Ishikawa, Y., Noma, Y., Yamamoto, T., Mori, Y., and Sakai, S. (2007). “PCB decomposition and formation in thermal treatment plant equipment.” Chemosphere, 67(7), 1383–1393.
Jartun, M., Eggen, O. A., and Volden, T. (2008a). “PCB in buildings—Studies in Drammen, Kristiansand, Porsgrunn, Stavanger and Ålesund.”, Geological Survey of Norway.
Jartun, M., Ottesen, R. T., Steinnes, E., and Volden, T. (2008b). “Runoff of particle bound pollutants from urban impervious surfaces studied by analysis of sediments from stormwater traps.” Sci. Total Environ., 396(2–3), 147–163.
Jartun, M., Ottesen, R. T., Steinnes, E., and Volden, T. (2009). “Painted surfaces-Important sources of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) contamination to the urban and marine environment.” Environ. Pollut., 157(1), 295–302.
Jartun, M., Ottesen, R. T., and Volden, T. (2005). “The dispersal of pollutants from impermeable surfaces in Bergen).”, Geological Survey of Norway.
Jartun, M., and Volden, T. (2006). “Soil pollution in Harstad.”, Geological Survey of Norway.
Jartun, M., and Volden, T. (2007). “PCB in precipitation in the Bergen area.”, Geological Survey of Norway, Trondheim, Norway.
Jiang, J.-J., Lee, C.-L., Fang, M.-D., Ko, F.-C., and Baker, J. E. (2011). “Polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polychlorinated biphenyls in sediments of southwest Taiwan: Regional characteristics and potential sources.” Mar. Pollut. Bull., 62(4), 815–823.
Johansen, S. S., and Skarheim, H. S. (1968). “Lille Lungegårdsvann—An assessment of remediation based on studies of water exchange and quality.”, Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo, Norway.
Johnsen, G. H. (2008). “Point study of Lille Lungegårdsvatn, Bergen City, 25th of October, 2007.”, Rådgivende biologer, Bergen, Norway.
Johnsen, G. H., and Brekke, E. (2009). “Monitoring study of Lille Lungegårdsvatn, 2008.”.
Kawakami, I., Matsuzawa, Y., Tanaka, M., Sakai, S., Hiraoka, M. (1993). “Emission levels of Co-PCBs from MSW incinerators.” 13th Int. Symp. on Chlorinated Dioxins and Related Compounds, Vol. 11, Vienna, Austria, 375–380.
Kim, K. S., Hirai, Y., Kato, H. M., Urano, K., and Masunaga, S. (2004). “Detailed PCB congener patterns in incinerator flue gas and commercial PCB formulations (Kanechlor).” Chemosphere, 55(4), 539–553.
Klif (2009). “Action plan for reducing emissions of PCB in 2009–2012.” Climate and Pollution Agency, Norway, 〈http://www.miljodirektoratet.no/Global/dokumenter/tema/kjemikaler/pcb_handlingsplan090709.pdf〉 (Mar. 10, 2015).
Krumgalz, B. S., Fainshtein, G., and Cohen, A. (1992). “Grain size effect on anthropogenic trace metal and organic matter distribution in marine sediments.” Sci. Total Environ., 116(1–2), 15–30.
Kryvi, H., and Grevskott, K. (2002). “Action plan for Bergen harbor.” Rep. for Fylkesmannen in Hordaland, 〈http://fylker.miljostatus.no/Global/Hordaland/Miljogifter/Forurensa%20sediment/Tiltaksplan%20Bergen%20havn/Sluttrapport%20tiltaksplan%20for%20Bergen%20havn%20fase%20II.pdf〉 (Mar. 10, 2015).
Larsson, P. (1994). Lille Lungegårdsvann, development over 10 years, Rep. of Zoological Institute, Bergen Univ., Bergen, Norway.
Li, A., Rockne, K. J., Sturchio, N., Song, W., Ford, J. C., and Wei, H. (2009). “PCBs in sediments of the great lakes-distribution and trends, homolog and chlorine patterns, and in situ degradation.” Environ. Pollut., 157(1), 141–147.
Marvin, C. H., Painter, S., Charlton, M. N., Fox, M. E., and Thiessen, P. A. L. (2004). “Trends in spatial and temporal levels of persistent organic pollutants in Lake Erie sediments.” Chemosphere, 54(1), 33–40.
Mays, L. W. (2001). “Introduction to storm drainage.” Chapter 1, Stormwater collection systems design handbook, L. W. Mays, ed., McGraw-Hill, New York, 1.1–1.53.
Meriläinen, J. J., Hynynen, J., Palomäki, A., Mäntykoski, K., and Witick, A. (2003). “Environmental history of an urban lake: A palaeolimnological study of Lake Jyväsjärvi, Finland.” J. Paleolimnol., 30(4), 387–406.
PEN. (2010). “PCBs elimination network - Magazine - PCB inventories - The place to start! Issue 1.” 〈http://chm.pops.int/Implementation/PCBs/PCBsEliminationNetworkPEN/PENnewsletter/tabid/2493/Default.aspx〉 (Mar. 10, 2015).
Piazza, R., et al. (2009). “Historical PCB fluxes in the Mexico City Metropolitan Zone as evidenced by a sedimentary record from the Espejo de los Lirios lake.” Chemosphere, 75(9), 1252–1258.
Rossi, L., de Alencastro, L., Kupper, T., and Tarradellas, J. (2004). “Urban stormwater contamination by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and its importance for urban water systems in Switzerland.” Sci. Total Environ., 322(1–3), 179–189.
Schneider, A. R., Stapleton, H. M., Cornwell, J., and Baker, J. E. (2001). “Recent declines in PAH, PCB, and Toxaphene levels in the northern great lakes as determined from high resolution sediment cores.” Environ. Sci. Technol., 35(19), 3809–3815.
Schoonenboom, M. H., Tromp, P. C., and Olie, K. (1995). “The formation of coplanar PCBs, PCDDs and PCDFs in a fly ash model system.” Chemosphere, 30(7), 1341–1349.
Statistics Norway. (2011). 〈http://www.ssb.no/aarbok/tab/tab-026.html〉 (Mar. 10, 2015).
Sundahl, M., Sikander, E., Ek-Olausson, B., Hjorthage, A., Rosell, L., and Tornevall, M. (1999). “Determination of PCB within a project to develop cleanup methods for PCB-containing elastic sealant used in outdoor joints between concrete blocks in buildings.” J. Environ. Monit., 1(4), 383–387.
Tukey, J. W. (1977). Exploratory data analysis, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA.
Yamashita, N., et al. (2000). “Vertical profile of polychlotinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans, naphthalenes, biphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and alkylphenols in a sediment core from Tokyo Bay, Japan.” Environ. Sci. Technol., 34(17), 3560–3567.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 141 • Issue 11 • November 2015
Copyright
© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 7, 2014
Accepted: Jan 26, 2015
Published online: Apr 2, 2015
Discussion open until: Sep 2, 2015
Published in print: Nov 1, 2015
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.