Sources and Fate of PAHs and PCBs in the Marine Environment

The assessment of a hazard resulting from the pollution of the environment by chemical compounds is in principle limited to the determination of their concentrations in its various compartments. But for solving many problems in this context, knowledge of the emission sources, transport pathways, and sites of deposition is of great benefit. By far the largest amounts of pollutants, regardless of where they were discharged, end up in the soil or the aquatic environment. By defining the source of origin of compounds like PAHs, and PCBs in the environment, especially in areas where they are emitted from different sources, it is possible to obtain information on the nature of different materials that are sources of these compounds (e.g., petroleum), or on the processes during which they are formed (e.g., combustion). In addition, the fate of toxic compounds in the environment can be tracked. This knowledge enables hypotheses to be formulated regarding the course of environmental phenomena; it also supplies a tool for taking administrative action and for resolving disputed issues concerning environmental pollution.