Associations of these
contaminants with DOM and POM according with their physicochemical
characteristics are one of the main factors determining
their distribution in the environment (Bj€ork, 1995). Thus, different
organic matter concentration and composition would lead to
different HOC sorption processes and consequently a distribution
pattern. In this sense, many studies reported the influence of
organic matter source and composition on HOC distribution in
coastal sediments (Edgar et al., 2003; Nouira et al., 2013), whereas
* Corresponding author. studies of this process in marine organisms are scarce. There is