THE DISTRIBUTION OF PCB AND CHLORINATED PESTICIDES IN 2 CONNECTED HIMALAYAN LAKES

PCBs and organochlorine pesticides were determined in water, sediment and zooplankton of two Himalayan lakes, located at different altitudes and connected to each other in such a way that Superior Lake acts as a sedimentation basin for Inferior Lake. Surficial sediments of both l akes show PCB contamination comparable to lakes of industrialised area s. Biota appear to be the main machanism responsible for micropollutan t burial in the sediments of Inferior Lake, whereas inorganic particle s are more relevant in Superior Lake. Physical and chemical properties of individual chemicals, particularly Henry's law constant and K-ow v alues, seem to regulate distribution in different environmental compar tments.