Source determination of benzotriazoles in sediment cores from two urban estuaries on the Atlantic Coast of the United States
Document Type
Article
Date of Original Version
1-1-2015
Abstract
Benzotriazoles (BZTs) are used in a broad range of commercial and industrial products, particularly as metal corrosion inhibitors and as ultraviolet (UV) light stabilizer additives in plastics and polymers. In this study, dated sediment cores from two east coast estuaries were analyzed for commonly used BZTs. In Narragansett Bay, UV stabilizing BZTs (UV-BZTs) were present at high levels from 1961 on, reflecting their patent date, local production and long-term preservation in sediment. In Salem Sound, UV-BZTs were present at concentrations consistent with other coastal marine locations not influenced by BZT production. Anticorrosive BZTs (AC-BZTs) were found in both cores, with the highest levels reported to date present in Narragansett Bay, indicating sorption to, and preservation in, sediments. This study revealed that both classes of BZTs have remained structurally intact over time in coastal sediment cores, demonstrating their resistance to degradation and persistence in environmental compartments.
Publication Title, e.g., Journal
Marine Pollution Bulletin
Volume
101
Issue
1
Citation/Publisher Attribution
Cantwell, Mark G., Julia C. Sullivan, David R. Katz, Robert M. Burgess, J. Bradford Hubeny, and John King. "Source determination of benzotriazoles in sediment cores from two urban estuaries on the Atlantic Coast of the United States." Marine Pollution Bulletin 101, 1 (2015). doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.10.075.