We report the results of the first intensive survey of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the surficial sediment of the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal (IHSC) in East Chicago, Indiana, a part of the Calumet River tributary of Lake Michigan (2006). PCB congeners were measured using tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) in multiple reaction monitoring mode (MRM), a method that provides a high-level selectivity and sensitivity for PCBs in complex environmental samples. The PCB concentrations (sum of 163 congeners or coeluting peaks) range from 53 to 35,000 ng/g dry weight (d.w.). Sediment total organic carbon (TOC) is also reported. As QA/QC, results from certified standard reference sediments (SRM 1944, National Institutes of Standards and testing) are also reported.
Supplement to: Martinez, Andres; Norström, Karin; Wang, Kai; Hornbuckle, Keri C (2010): Polychlorinated biphenyls in the surficial sediment of Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal, Lake Michigan. Environment International, 36(8), 849-854