Polychlorinated Biphenyls in a Ramsar Wetland: Occurrence, Source Apportionment Using PMF, and Probabilistic Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment in Water and Sediments of Ashtamudi Lake, India

Polychlorinated Biphenyls in a Ramsar Wetland: Occurrence, Source Apportionment Using PMF, and Probabilistic Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment in Water and Sediments of Ashtamudi Lake, India | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Polychlorinated Biphenyls in a Ramsar Wetland: Occurrence, Source Apportionment Using PMF, and Probabilistic Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment in Water and Sediments of Ashtamudi Lake, India M A Sreedevi, P S Harikumar This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7218664/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic pollutants that are of global concern due to their environmental persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and adverse ecological and human health impacts. This study presents the first comprehensive baseline assessment of the distribution, sources, and risks of the indicator PCBs in the Ashtamudi Wetland listed in Ramsar, a tropical estuarine ecosystem on the southwest coast of India. Surface sediment and water samples were analyzed for six indicator PCB congeners (PCB-28, 52, 101, 138, 153 and 180). Total PCB concentrations in sediments ranged from 0.20 to 2.99 µg/kg dry weight, with a mean of 0.70 ± 0.65 µg/kg dw, indicating moderate contamination compared to global coastal environments. The congener distribution followed the order: hexa-CBs > tri-CBs > penta-CBs > tetra-CBs > hepta-CBs. Elevated concentrations near urban and industrial discharge zones indicate localized anthropogenic sources. Multivariate statistical analyzes, including Cluster Analysis and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF), identified three primary contributors: Aroclor-type mixtures, open waste burning, and legacy e-waste contamination. The ecological risk assessment showed low potential for adverse effects, while the human health risk assessment revealed no unacceptable non-carcinogenic or carcinogenic risks through sediment ingestion or dermal contact. Because only six congeners were analyzed, the findings reflect a conservative estimate of overall PCB contamination. The study underscores the importance of integrated monitoring through chemical analysis, source allocation, and risk assessment to manage persistent pollutants in ecologically sensitive wetland ecosystems. PCBs Health risk assessment PMF source analysis sediment Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Tables 1 to 5 are available in the Supplementary Files section Supplementary Files LT.docx Supplementarymaterials.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7218664","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":491962520,"identity":"fe48c0b9-068f-4aa6-b577-d769ec6ea41a","order_by":0,"name":"M A Sreedevi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Cochin University of Science and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"M","middleName":"A","lastName":"Sreedevi","suffix":""},{"id":491962521,"identity":"21391e94-6baa-4686-a74a-13e1852c0da7","order_by":1,"name":"P S Harikumar","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAz0lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDCCAwwMzECKhx/ESSggRYtkA0iLAQlaGAwOgEkidPDdPnv4c0HNPRnj86sTPzwwYJDnFzuAX4vkubw06RnHinnMbrzdLAF0mOHM2Qn4tRic4TFj5mFLAGo5uwGkJcHgNmEtxp95/iXwGM84u/kHsVoMpHnbEngM+Hu3EWeL5Bm+NGnevgQeiRu82ywSDCQI+4XvDO/hzzzfEuz5+89uvvmjwkaeX5qAFmAkQmkJsEoJQsqRtfAfIEb1KBgFo2AUjEQAABNDQNaLPgnNAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"P","middleName":"S","lastName":"Harikumar","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-07-26 05:38:13","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7218664/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7218664/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":101688519,"identity":"17f4dffd-4f64-4ed3-87d6-8289ad771da1","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-02 15:41:37","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1304583,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"PCBMANUSCRIPT.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7218664/v1_covered_fd30d928-86d1-475d-aeb3-dd002887bd55.pdf"},{"id":87900010,"identity":"aecb682f-64e3-40a2-a1dd-e59f1436cb61","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-07-30 08:07:06","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":24713,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"LT.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7218664/v1/3f003bdb705b93192e6ee7ce.docx"},{"id":87897677,"identity":"02b7c3dc-2d66-46d2-ab40-60e0d985fd89","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-07-30 07:51:06","extension":"docx","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":16570,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Supplementarymaterials.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7218664/v1/ad2725c2acd89d09ba39ee3b.docx"}],"financialInterests":"\u003cp\u003eNo competing interests reported.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTables 1 to 5 are available in the Supplementary Files section\u003c/p\u003e","formattedTitle":"Polychlorinated Biphenyls in a Ramsar Wetland: Occurrence, Source Apportionment Using PMF, and Probabilistic Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment in Water and Sediments of Ashtamudi Lake, India","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"PCBs, Health risk assessment, PMF, source analysis, sediment","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7218664/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7218664/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003ePolychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic pollutants that are of global concern due to their environmental persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and adverse ecological and human health impacts. This study presents the first comprehensive baseline assessment of the distribution, sources, and risks of the indicator PCBs in the Ashtamudi Wetland listed in Ramsar, a tropical estuarine ecosystem on the southwest coast of India. Surface sediment and water samples were analyzed for six indicator PCB congeners (PCB-28, 52, 101, 138, 153 and 180). Total PCB concentrations in sediments ranged from 0.20 to 2.99 µg/kg dry weight, with a mean of 0.70 ± 0.65 µg/kg dw, indicating moderate contamination compared to global coastal environments. The congener distribution followed the order: hexa-CBs \u0026gt; tri-CBs \u0026gt; penta-CBs \u0026gt; tetra-CBs \u0026gt; hepta-CBs. Elevated concentrations near urban and industrial discharge zones indicate localized anthropogenic sources. Multivariate statistical analyzes, including Cluster Analysis and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF), identified three primary contributors: Aroclor-type mixtures, open waste burning, and legacy e-waste contamination. The ecological risk assessment showed low potential for adverse effects, while the human health risk assessment revealed no unacceptable non-carcinogenic or carcinogenic risks through sediment ingestion or dermal contact. Because only six congeners were analyzed, the findings reflect a conservative estimate of overall PCB contamination. 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