The concentrations and congener profiles of poly-chlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) in surface sediment samples collected from the Yangtze and Yellow River Estuaries were inves-tigated. PCN congeners (from MoCNs to OCN) were determined by isotope dilution/high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC-HRMS). The total concentrations of PCNs were 34.3-303.0 pg/g (dry weight, dw) in the Yangtze Estuary samples and 6.2-408.0 pg/g (dw) in the Yellow River Estuary samples, which were lower compared with that in other sediments reported by previous studies. In addition, the remarkably different homologue or congener profiles of PCNs have been obtained in this study. Samples dominated with MoCNs to TrCNs might be attributed to atmospheric deposition and global fractionation, while in other samples taken from the surrounding industrial areas the enrichment of higher chlorinated homologues suggested that the industrial and human activities should be the main potential sources.
