Polychlorobiphenyls in North Atlantic Ocean Water

Abstract

Concentrations of polychlorobiphenyls (PCB's) have been measured at the surface and at various depths in the water of the North Atlantic Ocean between 26°N and 63°N. The concentrations average about 20 parts per trillion and amount to an estimated 2 x 10⁴ metric tons of PCB's in the upper 200 meters of water. The average concentrations of PCB's in the surface water of the Sargasso Sea are lower than those in the northern North Atlantic.