The depositional history of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was studied from surficial sediments and three sediment cores sampled in the Santos Estuary, an important industrial and urban centre in South America. The maximum concentration (190.7 ng g^-1 dry weight) and inventory (295.50 ng cm⁻²) were detected in sediments related to the 1980s, representing a ten-year delay of the emission peak in Brazil. PCB consumption, the congener patterns, and multivariate statistical analyses indicated that the levels started to increase with the intensification of regional urban and industrial development that continued to interfere in the magnitude of input during the past 50 years. In addition, the risk assessment indicates that levels observed in most of the samples are in a range capable of producing ecological risks to the marine biota. This study provides the first estimates of historic sediments PCB inventories in the Southwestern Atlantic, contributing data for regional and global management and highlighting the role of sediment as a compartment for permanently storing POPs and the risks involved in their resuspension, especially in regions that are constantly dredged such as the Santos Estuary.

研究人员从南美洲重要的工业和城市中心桑托斯河口采样的表层沉积物和三个沉积物芯中研究了多氯联苯的沉积历史。最大浓度（190.7 ng g ^-1干重）和库存（295.50 ng cm ^-2））在1980年代相关的沉积物中被检测到，这代表了巴西排放峰值延迟了十年。多氯联苯的消费，同类模式和多变量统计分析表明，随着区域城市和工业发展的加剧，该水平开始上升，在过去的50年中，该发展继续干扰投入的规模。此外，风险评估表明，在大多数样品中观察到的水平处于能够对海洋生物区系产生生态风险的范围内。这项研究提供了西南大西洋地区历史沉积物多氯联苯清单的初步估计，为区域和全球管理提供了数据，并着重强调了沉积物作为永久性存储持久性有机污染物的区隔的作用以及其再悬浮所涉及的风险，