Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments of the East China Sea and their relationship with carbonaceous materials

This study measured concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface sediments in the East China Sea (ECS) to investigate possible sources and fate of PAHs. Total concentration of PAHs in the sediments of the ECS ranged from 22 to 244 ng g⁻¹, with the highest levels in the coastal area and outer shelf. The observed PAH results showed elevated levels in both inner and outer shelf areas, a finding that is different from predictions by an ocean circulation model, suggesting that terrestrial sources are important for PAH contaminations in the ECS, while sediment resuspension, tidal changes and lateral transport may be important in affecting the distribution of PAHs in the outer shelf. The distribution of PAHs in the surface sediments of the ECS is similar to the distribution of carbonaceous materials (e.g., particulate organic carbon and black carbon), suggesting that carbonaceous materials may strongly affect the distribution of PAHs.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments of the East China Sea and their relationship with carbonaceous materials

This study measured concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface sediments in the East China Sea (ECS) to investigate possible sources and fate of PAHs. Total concentration of PAHs in the sediments of the ECS ranged from 22 to 244 ng g(-1), with the highest levels in the coastal area and outer shelf. The observed PAH results showed elevated levels in both inner and outer shelf areas, a finding that is different from predictions by an ocean circulation model, suggesting that terrestrial sources are important for PAH contaminations in the ECS, while sediment resuspension, tidal changes and lateral transport may be important in affecting the distribution of PAHs in the outer shelf. The distribution of PAHs in the surface sediments of the ECS is similar to the distribution of carbonaceous materials (e.g., particulate organic carbon and black carbon), suggesting that carbonaceous materials may strongly affect the distribution of PAHs.     

Vertical changes of POC flux and indicators of early degradation of organic matter in the South China Sea

Tie-series sediment trap materials at different water depths and surface sediments in northern and central South China Sea (SCS) were analyzed for organic carbon, amino acids, amino sugars and carbohydrates. Results show that particulate organic carbon (POC) is mainly derived from marine plankton, only 1.4%–1.6% of primary production sinks into deep SCS water column and less than 0.22 % of primary production ultimately reaches the sediments. The ranineralization and dissolution of organic matter as well as the compositional alterations of organic matter mixtures may mainly take place in the upper few hundred meters of water column, deep carbonate (opal) lysocline zones, and interface layers between sediments and water column, rather than in mid-waters. The organic geochemical parameters such as (T ^aa +T ^sug )OC%, AA/AS, Gluam/Galam, Arom. AA/non-prot. AA, ASP/b-ALA, Glu/g-ABA decrease from living marine plankton (or planktonic shells), to settling particulate matter and to sediments suggesting that they appear to be gad early degraded indicators of organic matter. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 49776297). Cruises financially supported by State Oceanic Administration and German Federal Ministry of Research and Technology.     

中国近海海平面变化特征分析

用经验正交函数分析方法,对中国近海14年多的测高海平面同化格网资料进行分析,给出了黄海、东海和南海各海平面变化主要主成分的空间变化和时间变化特征.用标准Morlet小波变换方法分析了各海区主成分时间变化序列的时频特征.分析结果表明,各主成分的空间分布特征与当地的海洋环流或洋流特征相对应.时频分析结果显示,中国近海海平面变化的显著周期主要为年周期信号.其次,黄海和东海还显示准2个月的非稳态信号,东海和南海具有较显著的半年周期信号,东海半年周期信号的能量不稳定.此外,在南海及台湾东部海域,首次发现存在较为显著的准540天周期信号,其动力学机制目前尚不明确.坎门和西沙验潮站资料的时频特征分析也验证了该信号的存在.最后本文给出了中国近海海平面在1993~2007年间的平均上升速率和其区域分布特征.     

Paleogene marine deposition records of rifting and breakup of the South China Sea: An overview

A compilation of available marine deposition data from offshore S-SE China reveals evidence of rifting and breakup of the South China Sea (SCS) during the Paleogene. Marine deposition started earlier in the Paleocene in the East China Sea (ECS)-Taiwan region before expanding southwestward into the SCS region in the middle Eocene. Our data indicate the existence of an elongated Paleogene China Sea in these areas stretching along the northeasterly structural belts, probably as part of the marginal western paleo-Pacific. The southwestward shift of marine influence in the middle Eocene was responding to a period of intensive rifting and subsidence in the SCS region, while the sea in the ECS-Taiwan region started to shrink and shoal after the late Eocene, likely associated with local breakup and initial spreading in the Taiwan-Taixinan Basin area. The accumulation of hemipelagic sediments at ODP 1148 and IODP U1435 from near the continent-ocean boundary and at many other shelf-slope sites was in response to a large-scale breakup 34 to 33 Ma ago, subsequently leading to the birth of the SCS in the Oligocene.     

Concentrations and hazard assessment of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in shark liver from the Mediterranean Sea

Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (DDTs), were determined in the liver of two different shark species Prionace glauca (blue shark) and Dalatias licha (kitefin shark) from the Mediterranean Sea. In blue shark liver, the concentrations of PCBs (2482 ngg(-1)) and DDTs (2392 ngg(-1)) were comparable, while in kitefin shark the hepatic concentrations of DDTs (4554 ngg(-1)) were significantly higher than those of PCBs (1827 ngg(-1)). Contamination levels differed between species, with kitefin shark showing consistently higher concentrations of DDTs, and blue shark higher levels of PCBs. Congener-specific PCB profiles, similar between the two species were dominated by the higher chlorinated congeners (hexachlorobiphenyls: 62.8-63.9%, penta-: 15.2-21.3%, hepta-: 13.4-14.5%) with most of the lower chlorinated congeners being absent or present at very low levels. In both species, the total 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenz-p-dioxin toxic equivalent (TEQs) concentrations (blue shark: 2.51 pg/g; kitefin shark: 1.46 pg/g) seem to be relatively modest. Regards to DDT component pattern, p,p'-DDE was dominant in the liver of both species (blue shark: 81.5%; kitefin shark: 38.0%), while the percentage composition of the other metabolites was differently characterized. The composition pattern of DDTs and the low value of p,p'-DDE/DDTs ratio in the specimens from Ionian Sea suggest that organochlorine pesticide contamination is still continuing in this marine environment.     

Biomarker evidence for changes in terrestrial organic matter input into the Yellow Sea mud area during the Holocene

We present lipid biomarker records of two cores(ZY1 and ZY3) from the central South Yellow Sea mud area to investigate the changes in sources and transport processes of the sedimentary organic matter(OM) throughout the Holocene. Based on the analysis of marine biomarker content(SPB(Phytoplankton Biomarker, total content of brassicasterol, dinosterol and C_(37)-alkenones) and crenarchaeol), and terrestrial biomarkers(Sn-alkanols and br GDGTs) as well as TMBR′ and BIT index values, the marine organic matter(MOM) and terrestrial organic matter(TOM) deposition history was reconstructed. Changes in TOM and MOM were related to variations in land vegetation density and marine productivity, as well as transport processes dominated by the oceanic circulation system. The marine biomarker contents from the South Yellow Sea have generally increased throughout the Holocene, indicating that the increased MOM contents were mainly controlled by the strengthening of the circulation system. The terrestrial biomarkers, on the other hand, were more variable, indicating more complex influence of TOM burial in the Yellow Sea. During the Early Holocene(7200–6000 cal yr BP), the moderate TOM input revealed by the terrestrial proxy records may result from abundant land source supply by strong river transport despite the lack of transport via circulation system. The Mid-Holocene(6000–3000 cal yr BP) was characterized by decreased terrestrial biomarker contents. The balance between the decrease in land source supply and increase of transportation by the current system of the TOM resulted in the lower but stable contents of TOM. During the Late Holocene(3000 cal yr BP to present), the TOM deposition in the South Yellow Sea increased as the current system was further enhanced and thus transported more TOM to the central South Yellow Sea, although the land supply of TOM was further reduced.     

Carbon sinks/sources in the Yellow and East China Seas—Air-sea interface exchange,dissolution in seawater,and burial in sediments

The sinks/sources of carbon in the Yellow Sea(YS) and East China Sea(ECS), which are important continental shelf seas in China, could exert a great influence on coastal ecosystem dynamics and the regional climate change process. The CO_2 exchange process across the seawater-air interface, dissolved and particulate carbon in seawater, and carbon burial in sediments were studied to understand the sinks/sources of carbon in the continental shelf seas of China. The YS and the ECS generally have different patterns of seasonal air-sea CO_2 exchange. In the YS, regions west of 124°E can absorb CO_2 from the atmosphere during spring and winter, and release CO_2 to the atmosphere during summer and autumn. The entire YS is considered as a CO_2 source throughout the year with respect to the atmosphere, but there are still uncertainties regarding the exact air-sea CO_2 exchange flux. Surface temperature and phytoplankton production were the key controlling factors of the air-sea CO_2 exchange flux in the offshore region and nearshore region of the YS, respectively. The ECS can absorb CO_2 during spring, summer, and winter and release CO_2 to the atmosphere during autumn. The annual average exchange rate in the ECS was-4.2±3.2 mmol m~(-2) d~(-1) and it served as an obvious sink for atmospheric CO_2 with an air-sea exchange flux of 13.7×10~6 t. The controlling factors of the air-sea CO_2 exchange in the ECS varied significantly seasonally. Storage of dissolved inorganic carbon(DIC) and dissolved organic carbon(DOC) in the YS and the ECS were 425×10~6 t and 1364×10~6 t, and 28.2×10~6 t and 54.1×10~6 t,respectively. Long-term observation showed that the DOC content in the YS had a decreasing trend, indicating that the "practical carbon sink" in the YS was decreasing. The total amount of particulate organic carbon(POC) stored in the YS and ECS was10.6×10~6 t, which was comparable to the air-sea CO_2 flux in these two continental shelf seas. The amounts of carbon sequestered by phytoplankton in the YS and the ECS were 60.42×10~6 t and 153.41×10~6 t, respectively. Artificial breeding of macroalgae could effectively enhance blue carbon sequestration, which could fix 0.36×10~6–0.45×10~6 t of carbon annually. Organic carbon(OC) buried in the sediments of the YS was estimated to be 4.75×10~6 t, and OC of marine origin was 3.03×10~6 t, accounting for5.0% of the TOC fixed by phytoplankton primary production. In the ECS, the corresponding depositional flux of OC in the sediment was estimated to be 7.4×10~6 t yr~(-1), and the marine-origin OC was 5.5×10~6 t, accounting for 5.4% of the phytoplankton primary production. Due to the relatively high average depositional flux of OC in the sediment, the YS and ECS have considerable potential to store a vast amount of "blue carbon."     

Carbon pools and fluxes in the China Seas and adjacent oceans

The China Seas include the South China Sea, East China Sea, Yellow Sea, and Bohai Sea. Located off the Northwestern Pacific margin, covering 4700000 km~2 from tropical to northern temperate zones, and including a variety of continental margins/basins and depths, the China Seas provide typical cases for carbon budget studies. The South China Sea being a deep basin and part of the Western Pacific Warm Pool is characterized by oceanic features; the East China Sea with a wide continental shelf, enormous terrestrial discharges and open margins to the West Pacific, is featured by strong cross-shelf materials transport; the Yellow Sea is featured by the confluence of cold and warm waters; and the Bohai Sea is a shallow semiclosed gulf with strong impacts of human activities. Three large rivers, the Yangtze River, Yellow River, and Pearl River, flow into the East China Sea, the Bohai Sea, and the South China Sea, respectively. The Kuroshio Current at the outer margin of the Chinese continental shelf is one of the two major western boundary currents of the world oceans and its strength and position directly affect the regional climate of China. These characteristics make the China Seas a typical case of marginal seas to study carbon storage and fluxes. This paper systematically analyzes the literature data on the carbon pools and fluxes of the Bohai Sea,Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and South China Sea, including different interfaces(land-sea, sea-air, sediment-water, and marginal sea-open ocean) and different ecosystems(mangroves, wetland, seagrass beds, macroalgae mariculture, coral reefs, euphotic zones, and water column). Among the four seas, the Bohai Sea and South China Sea are acting as CO_2 sources, releasing about0.22 and 13.86–33.60 Tg C yr~(-1) into the atmosphere, respectively, whereas the Yellow Sea and East China Sea are acting as carbon sinks, absorbing about 1.15 and 6.92–23.30 Tg C yr~(-1) of atmospheric CO_2, respectively. Overall, if only the CO_2 exchange at the sea-air interface is considered, the Chinese marginal seas appear to be a source of atmospheric CO_2, with a net release of 6.01–9.33 Tg C yr~(-1), mainly from the inputs of rivers and adjacent oceans. The riverine dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) input into the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and South China Sea are 5.04, 14.60, and 40.14 Tg C yr~(-1),respectively. The DIC input from adjacent oceans is as high as 144.81 Tg C yr~(-1), significantly exceeding the carbon released from the seas to the atmosphere. In terms of output, the depositional fluxes of organic carbon in the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and South China Sea are 2.00, 3.60, 7.40, and 5.92 Tg C yr~(-1), respectively. The fluxes of organic carbon from the East China Sea and South China Sea to the adjacent oceans are 15.25–36.70 and 43.93 Tg C yr~(-1), respectively. The annual carbon storage of mangroves, wetlands, and seagrass in Chinese coastal waters is 0.36–1.75 Tg C yr~(-1), with a dissolved organic carbon(DOC) output from seagrass beds of up to 0.59 Tg C yr~(-1). Removable organic carbon flux by Chinese macroalgae mariculture account for 0.68 Tg C yr~(-1) and the associated POC depositional and DOC releasing fluxes are 0.14 and 0.82 Tg C yr~(-1), respectively. Thus, in total, the annual output of organic carbon, which is mainly DOC, in the China Seas is 81.72–104.56 Tg C yr~(-1). The DOC efflux from the East China Sea to the adjacent oceans is 15.00–35.00 Tg C yr~(-1). The DOC efflux from the South China Sea is 31.39 Tg C yr~(-1). Although the marginal China Seas seem to be a source of atmospheric CO_2 based on the CO_2 flux at the sea-air interface, the combined effects of the riverine input in the area, oceanic input, depositional export,and microbial carbon pump(DOC conversion and output) indicate that the China Seas represent an important carbon storage area.     

Relocation of the Yellow River as revealed by sedimentary isotopic and elemental signals in the East China Sea

The Yellow River (YR) supplies a large amount of nutrients and fresh water to the northern Chinese marginal seas, and greatly influences the ecosystem and current patterns. The relocation of the YR outlet from the southern Yellow Sea (YS) to the Bohai Sea in 1855 was demonstrated using northern East China Sea (ECS) sediment characteristics. Both isotopic (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N) signals and C/N ratios in the organic matter (OM) indicate that prior to 1750, the predominant source of OM to the sediments was terrestrial. The terrestrial influences continuously weakened until 1855, when the YR estuary moved; after 1855, the OM was characterized by oceanic sources. Major elements (Al, Ti, Fe, Mn) and trace elements (Ni, Cr, Cu, Pb) had a much closer association with Malan loess prior to 1855, as >90% of the YR sediment was loess-derived. These results reveal that the relocation of the YR induced significant changes in the current patterns of the northern China Seas in the last 250 years; however, more studies are needed to further examine these linkages.     

Aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons in coastal Caspian Sea sediments

This investigation represents the first extensive study of the spatial distribution and sources of aliphatic (n-alkanes and unresolved complex mixture of fossil hydrocarbons) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in coastal sediments from the Caspian Sea. PAH concentrations, n-alkanes and biomarker profiles all suggested that there was limited petrogenic contamination in the shallow North Caspian Sea sediments, which are coarse with a low total organic carbon content. In contrast, moderate to high petrogenic contamination was found in the South Caspian Sea, in particular in the offshore oil fields near Baku, Azerbaijan. Contaminant patterns indicated that the PAHs were mainly from fossil sources, with higher contributions of pyrolytic only near industrialized and urban areas. A high contribution of perylene, a geochemically derived PAH, to the total PAHs was found in the west and south at sites influenced by the Kura, Safid Rud, Terek, Sulak and Samur Rivers.     

Terrestrial and marine biomarker estimates of organic matter sources and distributions in surface sediments from the East China Sea shelf

Revealing of the sources and distributions of sedimentary organic matter in the East China Sea (ECS) is important for understanding its carbon cycle, which has significant temporal and spatial variability due to the influences of recent climate changes and anthropogenic activities. In this study, we report the contents of both terrestrial and marine biomarkers including ∑C₂₇+C₂₉+C₃₁n-alkanes (38.6-580 ng/g), C₃₇ alkenones (5.6-124.6 ng/g), brassicasterol (98-913 ng/g) and dinosterol (125-1521 ng/g) from the surface sediments in the Changjiang River Estuary (CRE) and shelf areas of the ECS. Several indices based on biomarker contents and ratios are calculated to assess the spatial distributions of both terrestrial and marine organic matter in the ECS surface sediments, and these results are compared with organic matter distribution patterns revealed by the δ¹³C (−20.1‰ to −22.7‰) and C/N ratio (5-7.5) of total organic matter. The contents of terrestrial biomarkers in the ECS surface sediments decrease seaward, controlled mostly by Changjiang River (CR) inputs and surface currents; while higher contents of the two marine biomarkers (brassicasterol and dinosterol) occur in upwelling areas outside the CRE and in the Zhejiang-Fujian coastal zone, controlled mostly by marine productivity. Four proxies, f_Terr(δ¹³C) (the fraction of terrestrial organic matter in TOC estimated by TOC δ¹³C), odd-alkanes (∑C₂₇+C₂₉+C₃₁n-alkanes), 1/P_mar-aq ((C₂₃+C₂₅+C₂₉+C₃₁)/(C₂₃+C₂₅) n-alkanes) and TMBR (terrestrial and marine biomarker ratio) (C₂₇+C₂₉₊C₃₁n-alkanes)/((C₂₇+C₂₉+C₃₁) n-alkanes+(brassicasterol+dinosterol+alkenones)), reveal a consistent pattern showing the relative contribution of terrestrial organic matter (TOM) is higher in the CRE and along the Zhejiang-Fujian coastline, controlled mostly by CR inputs and currents, but the TOM contribution decreases seaward, as the influences of the CR discharge decrease.     

Paleoceanographic evolution recorded in the northern South China Sea since 4 Ma

The late Pliocene-Pleistocene is of great interest for understanding the Earth’s climate system, because not only the late Pliocene is the latest period with tem-perature significantly higher than the Holocene, but also during the Pliocene/Pleistocene transition the Earth’s environment changed from a warm and uni-form climate state into an extreme one with typical glacial-interglacial cycles. During this period the Earth’s climate experienced through the grandly phased rising of the Qing…     

Organic geochemical studies of sinking particulate material in China sea area(I)

Sinking particulate material collected from Nansha Yongshu reef lagoon and the continental shelf of the East China Sea by sediment traps has been analyzed and studied for the first time using organic geochemical method. The results show that about half of the sinking particulate organic matter in the two study areas are consumed before reaching the depth of 5 m to the sea floor and the degree of this consumption in Yongshu reef lagoon is larger than that in the continental shelf of the East China Sea. The distributions of hydrocarbons and fatty acids indicate that the minor difference of biological sources of sinking particulate organic matter exists between Yongshu reef lagoon and the continental shelf of the East China Sea, but they mainly come from marine plankton. Stronger biological and biochemical transformations of sinking particulate organic matter are also observed and the intensity of this transformation in Yongshu reef lagoon is greater than that in the continental shelf of the East China Sea. It is found that the occurrence of C₂₅ highly branched isoprenoid (HBI) diene may be related to the composition of diatom species.     

Tracing the recently increasing anthropogenic Pb inputs into the East China Sea shelf sediments using Pb isotopic analysis

This study examined the Pb content and Pb isotopic composition in a sediment core taken from the East China Sea (ECS) shelf, and it was observed that since 2003 the increasing anthropogenic Pb inputs have impacted as far as the ECS shelf sediments. The ECS shelf sediments were generally characterized with low bulk Pb contents (12.5–15.0 μg/g) and relatively lithogenic Pb isotopic signatures (both HCl-leached and residual fractions). However, elevated Pb records along with lighter Pb isotopic signals have occurred in the post-2003 sediments, as a result of a small but increasing anthropogenic Pb contribution from the heavily human perturbed coastal sediments due to the sharply increasing coal consumption in mainland China since 2003.     

Internal architecture and mobility of tidal sand ridges in the East China Sea

On the basis of bathymetric and seismic data and data from piston cores collected by the Chinese–French marine geology and geophysics investigation of 1996, we discuss the internal architecture and mobility of tidal sand ridges in the East China Sea (ECS). We characterized the sand ridges on the middle to outer shelf of the ECS as tide-dominated sand ridges with southwest dipping beds, indicating that the regional net sediment transport is toward the southwest. As the sand ridges gradually migrate toward the southwest, new sand ridges are continually replacing old ones, and several generations of sand ridges have developed in the study area.     

Reevaluation of mixing among multiple water masses in the shelf: An example from the East China Sea

East China Sea (ECS) is bounded by the continent where the fourth largest river of Changjiang discharges large amounts of freshwater to the west and by the Kuroshio in the East and connected to the South China Sea via Taiwan Strait, therefore water characteristics are very complex and undergo great seasonal changes. The dominant source waters in the ECS are found to be Kuroshio Surface Water (KSW), Kuroshio Sub-surface Water (KSSW), Changjiang Diluted Water (CDW), and Taiwan Strait Warm Water (TSWW). Optimum multiparameter analysis (OMP) using temperature, salinity and ²²⁶Ra were applied to quantify the contribution of individual source water to the surface water of the ECS in summer. The successful application of radium isotope in OMP analysis demonstrates the usefulness of ²²⁶Ra in the discrimination of mixing among multiple water sources. In 1987, one interesting phenomenon was that the KSSW entered the surface with the upwelling at the margin of continental shelf, and affected the coastal water obviously. In 1999, the TSWW extended northward continuously up to the Changjiang Estuary.     

中国东部海域断裂构造格架与地震活动研究

渤海、黄海和东海等中国东部海域在地质构造上是大陆向海的自然延伸,海域内的构造方向与大陆一致,均为NNE-NE向,但属于不同的二级大地构造单元,渤海和北黄海属于华北地块,南黄海属于扬子地块,东海属于华南地块.由于各地块与现今活动板块边界位置不同,构造与地震活动性差异较大,渤海和北黄海地区地震活动主要受印度板块与欧亚板块碰...     

High-resolution clay mineral assemblages in the inner shelf mud wedge of the East China Sea during the Holocene: Implications for the East Asian Monsoon evolution

The inner shelf mud wedge of the East China Sea(ECS) is a high-sedimentation-rate fine-grained sediment unit that has preserved a continuous environmental evolution history since the last deglaciation. We present a high-resolution clay mineralogical study from Core MD06-3040 to semi-quantitatively evaluate terrigenous sediment contributions from various potential provenances throughout the Holocene. The results showed that the clay mineral assemblage is composed of dominant illite(34–49%), moderate smectite(16–41%) and chlorite(15–28%), and minor kaolinite(5–12%). Provenance analysis suggested that most fine-grained terrigenous sediments originated from the Yangtze River, with minor sediments derived from Taiwan island and negligible sediments from nearby Zhejiang and Fujian provinces. Time series variation in the contribution of the Yangtze source fluctuated in the range of 38–80%, whereas that of Taiwan island had a converse variation pattern from ~10%to ~55%, and the contribution of Fujian was relatively stable in the range of 7–11% throughout the Holocene. The fluctuations of clay mineral assemblages and variations of clay mineral contributions from different provenances of Core MD06-3040 were controlled by the variability of precipitation in the Yangtze drainage associated with periodic fluctuations in the East Asian monsoonal circulation.     

Distribution and sources of organochlorine pesticides in sediments of the coastal East China Sea

Forty-two surface sediment samples collected from the southern coastal East China Sea (ECS) were analyzed for organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). The results showed high concentrations of DDTs and parent DDT fractions in the nearshore area, suggesting that there is still a fresh input of these species from non-point sources, probably due to the recent usage of relevant products. However, for HCHs, the high concentrations with elevated β-HCH fraction were focused at the local major river estuaries, indicating that soils-released HCH input was mainly from the major river runoffs. The distribution and composition of OCPs in the coastal ECS could be more prominently controlled by the direct regional inputs rather than the general natural sorption process on particulate organic carbon. DDTs and chlordane are more important for their potential ecotoxicological risk on neighboring benthic community in the nearshore region and the local major river estuaries.