Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Anthropogenic molecular markers: Tools to identify the sources and transport pathways of pollutants

January 1, 1997

The activities of modern civilization have released to the oceans a wide variety of both mobilized natural compounds and synthetic compounds not found prior to modern times. Many of these compounds provide a means of identifying sources of inputs and pathways of movement of chemicals through oceanic ecosystems and serve as molecular markers of human activities. A coastal ocean (Tokyo Bay) and a deep ocean (Deep Water Dump Site 106 in the Western North Atlantic Ocean) example are presented. In the deep ocean study, the correlation between potential sewage marker, i.e. linear alkylbenzenes (LABs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) concentrations indicates a contribution of sewage sludge PCBs to the dump site sediments.

Publication Year 1997
Title Anthropogenic molecular markers: Tools to identify the sources and transport pathways of pollutants
DOI 10.1021/bk-1997-0671.ch012
Authors H. Takada, F. Satoh, Michael H. Bothner, B.W. Tripp, C.G. Johnson, J.W. Farrington
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title ACS Symposium Series
Index ID 70019709
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center