Farrington, J.W., and H. Takada. 2014. Persistent organic pollutants
(POPs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and plastics: Examples
of the status, trend, and cycling of organic chemicals of environmental
concern in the ocean. Oceanography 27(1):196?213,
http://dx.doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2014.23.

Abstract
Four decades of research have provided a reasonable understanding of the
outline of the biogeochemical cycles of persistent organic pollutants
(POPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in coastal ocean and
surface ocean ecosystems, including atmospheric transport to the sea,
air-sea exchange processes, and the role of particulate matter in
removing these chemicals from surface waters. It is clear that deep
ocean fish are contaminated with POPs. However, despite available
sampling and analytical capabilities, deep ocean ecosystems are much
less sampled and understood. A multidecade assessment of POPs and PAHs
in US coastal waters using bivalve sentinel organisms documents high
concentrations near urban areas and also some stations where
concentrations have begun to decline. The results are consistent with
coastal sediments near urban areas being a leaky sink for POPs and PAHs,
and sources from land continuing to contribute these contaminants to the
sea. Other studies document coastal and continental margin surface
sediments as a sink, albeit a potentially leaky sink, for POPs and PAHs.
Floating plastic debris, including small pellets, has reemerged as an
oceanic environmental concern. A "Pellet Watch" assessing plastic
pellets and associated POPs and PAHs is underway. Enhanced studies of
deep-ocean ecosystems are recommended. The findings are also relevant to
biogeochemical cycles for emerging organic pollutants.

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