The relationship between the black carbon and bisphenol A in sea and river sediments (Southern Baltic).

This study was derived from field investigations to assess bisphenol A (BPA) concentrations in the sea and river sediments of the Gulf of Gdansk. Black carbon (BC) and total organic carbon (TOC) were identified as influencing factors on the accumulation. As a result of the transportation of BC with organic matter via rivers into the Gulf of Gdansk, the highest mean concentrations (11.26ngBPA/(gdryweight (dw))), were determined in the sediments of river estuaries. Sediments in coastal stations were characterized by the lowest mean concentrations (5.73ngBPA/(gdw)). TOC content below 0.1% determined the sorption of BPA on BC particles in sediments, and statistically significant correlation between the concentration of BPA and the BC/TOC ratio was found in these cases. In addition, dependency between the concentration of BPA and the content of BC was discovered in sediments where the BC/TOC ratio was >0.33.