Volatile halogenated compounds and chlorophenols in the Skagerrak

A total of 680 seawater samples were collected and analysed for volatile halogenated organic compounds, and 280 seawater samples were analysed for chlorinated phenols in the Skagerrak. The sampling was done along three transects along the Danish west coast on five occasions during the years 1991 to 1993. Pentachlorophenol (PCP) was the only chlorophenol detected on all occasions, which implies that it is transported as a dissolved species rather than particle bound. The results indicate that the origin of PCP in the Skagerrak is the Baltic and the coastal areas of Sweden and Norway. The biogenic volatile halocarbons constitute the largest fraction of the halocarbons in the area. The data support the findings that volatile chloroethenes are naturally produced. Therefore, the Skagerrak acts as a source for these compounds. The flux of the compounds investigated is directed from the sea to the atmosphere except for carbon tetrachloride.