Concentrations of individual polychlorinated biphenyl congeners and total organic carbon in surficial freshwater sediments from Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal, Indiana, USA

We report the results of the first intensive survey of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the surficial sediment of the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal (IHSC) in East Chicago, Indiana, a part of the Calumet River tributary of Lake Michigan (2006). PCB congeners were measured using tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) in multiple reaction monitoring mode (MRM), a method that provides a high-level selectivity and sensitivity for PCBs in complex environmental samples. The PCB concentrations (sum of 163 congeners or coeluting peaks) range from 53 to 35,000 ng/g dry weight (d.w.). Sediment total organic carbon (TOC) is also reported. As QA/QC, results from certified standard reference sediments (SRM 1944, National Institutes of Standards and testing) are also reported.