Concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (OCs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in sediments of the Forth estuary, 2020-2021, and north Aberdeenshire coastline, 2023, Scotland
https://doi.org/10.5285/475f098c-dcc4-4e77-b57b-8b9bdeb330a3
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This dataset comprises the concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (OCs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) measured in bed sediments collected from the Forth estuary in Scotland from November 2020 to July 2021, in addition to the north Aberdeenshire coastline in winter 2023. A total of 146 bed sediment surface samples were collected at a range of depths in the water column (2-57 m) in the Forth estuary, and 9 samples in North Aberdeenshire. In the Forth estuary, two sampling areas were selected, specifically the inner estuary channel (sites west of longitude -2.9) and the outer estuary channel (sites east of longitude -2.9). OCs and PBCs were analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). PBDEs were analysed using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS).
These data were collected as part of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funded project entitled "Uptake of chemicals from legacy waste sites in coastal food webs and effects on higher predators" (NERC reference NE/T003596/1).
These data were collected as part of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funded project entitled "Uptake of chemicals from legacy waste sites in coastal food webs and effects on higher predators" (NERC reference NE/T003596/1).
Publication date: 2026-05-29
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Format
Comma-separated values (CSV)
Spatial information
Study area
Spatial representation type
Tabular (text)
Spatial reference system
WGS 84 / Pseudo-Mercator
Temporal information
Temporal extent
2020-11-03 to 2021-07-23
2023-02-21 to 2023-02-22
Provenance & quality
Samples were collected from the surface of the estuary bed using a 250 cm2 Van Veen grab sampler. Samples were stored in glass containers at -20 °C. Prior to analysis, the sediment samples were delivered to the Analytical Chemistry laboratories at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) in Lancaster. Sediment samples were analysed for a suite of 35 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs; di- to deca-PCBs), 25 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs; tri- to octa-PBDE), and 7 organochlorine pesticides (OCs). Analytes were extracted from the sediments using Soxhlet extraction. Sample clean-up was carried out using size-exclusion chromatography and alumina column chromatography. OCs and PBCs were analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). PBDEs were analysed using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). Quantification of all analytes was carried out using 13C-labelled internal standards and calibration curves of unlabelled analyte standards. All concentrations were blank-corrected where necessary, and are reported in ng g-1 ww (wet weight).
Licensing and constraints
This dataset is available under the terms of the Open Government Licence 
Cite this dataset as:
Billings, A.; Daunt, F.; Grant, A.; Olszewska, J.P.; Pickard, A.; Bogdanova, M.I.; Campbell, H.; Carter, H.; Pereira, M.G. (2026). Concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (OCs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in sediments of the Forth estuary, 2020-2021, and north Aberdeenshire coastline, 2023, Scotland. NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/475f098c-dcc4-4e77-b57b-8b9bdeb330a3
Correspondence/contact details
Other contacts
Publisher
NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
info@eidc.ac.uk
Rights holder
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology