Distribution and ecological risk of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in surficial sediments from the Eastern Aegean

► Organochlorine compounds were measured in sediment from the Eastern Aegean. ► p,p′-DDE was the most abundant pesticide in the sampling area. ► OCPs and PCBs were present in noticeably higher levels at Izmir inner Bay. ► The OCP contamination was mainly from the aged and weathered agricultural soils. ► DDTs and heptachlor would be more concerned for the ecotoxicological risk.