As a first contribution to the assessment of organic microcontaminants in rivers of Mecklenburg‐West Pomerania, the patterns, levels, and regional distribution of chlorinated hydrocarbons (PCB, HCH, DDT, and HCB) in river sediments were investigated. The sediment sampling was carried out at selected stations in rivers of Mecklenburg‐West Pomerania (Peene, Uecker, Randow, Zarow, Ziese, Warnow, Elde, and Elbe) in August/September 1996. The chlorinated hydrocarbons were determined by GC/ECD following ultrasonic extraction. Generally, the contents of chlorinated hydrocarbons in the river Warnow and rivers of West Pomerania were at a low level, up to 15 ng/g (given for TOC). In Elde sediments, three to ten times higher contents of CHC were found, due to a higher degree of industrialization in the catchment area. Much higher CHC contents up to a factor of 100 higher than in the river Warnow occurred in Elbe sediments between the towns Dömitz and Boizenburg. A comparison of the CHC contents in river sediments of Mecklenburg‐West Pomerania with those in Elbe sediments reflects the difference between rivers with a large and highly industrialized catchment area and much smaller rivers, only affected by agriculture and municipal sewages. The contribution from rivers of Mecklenburg‐West Pomerania to the riverine input of organic microcontaminants into the innercoastal waters (boddens, hafts, and sounds) and the adjacent Baltic Sea seems to be low.
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