Distribution, Source and Potential Risk Assessment of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in Sediments from the Liaohe River Protected Area, China

This study aimed to assess the occurrence, distribution, toxicity equivalency and health risks of dl-PCBs (dioxin-like PCBs) from nine sites collected in surface sediments from Liaohe River Protected Area. ∑dl-PCBs concentrations in sediments range from 79.2 to 365.1 pg/g. Sediment profiles showed that pentachlorobiphenyl is the most abundant congener among all sampling sites. The results of principal component analysis and cluster analysis indicated that PCBs were mainly derived from electronic waste and paint additives in the sediments of Liaohe River Protected Area. Toxic equivalent quantity (TEQ) values of the PCBs in the Liaohe River Protected Area sediments are at comparatively lower levels compared with the previously reported data. Hazardous ratio (HR) for human health risk assessment allied to cancer was found to be lower than the non-carcinogenic risk assessment within an acceptable range.