Chemical quality of sediment cores from the Laguna Madre, Laguna Atascosa and Arroyo Colorado, Texas

Many contaminants introduced into the environment by human activities are hydrophobic, meaning they are relatively insoluble in water and, thus, are associated primarily with sediments. These contaminants include the organochlorine pesticides DOT and chlordane, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from industrial facilities and urban areas, and heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, mercury, and zinc. Understanding the occurrence of these contaminants in the environment requires sampling the sediments where the contaminants might be detected.