In order to examine the possible interactions of eutrophication and hydrophobic organic contaminants, data for polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations (C_PCB) in three species of bivalves and in sediments were examined. These were correlated to total organic carbon content of sediments (TOC_sed), which was assumed to represent the trophic status of the sampling sites. Almost all C_PCB) on dry weight basis in the bivalves and in sediments were examined. There were correlated to total organic carbon content of sediments (TOC_sed), Which was assumed to represent the trophic status of the sampling sites. Almost all C_PCB on dry weight basis in the bivalves and in the sediments were positively linearly correlated to TOC_sed. Regarding the sediments, this simply reflects the high affinity of these compounds for TOC, but for the bivalves the correlation wan not explained. In the bivalves, the difference in PCB homologue concentration was positively linearly correlated to TOC_sed. To understand these field data, a box model was used to simulate the fate of PCB in oligotrophic, mesotrophic, eutrophic, and hypertrophic marine environments. The calculated results qualitatively predicted the change in C_PCB for the sediment correctly. For increased trophic status of the water compartment, on a scale from oligo- to hypertrophic, the model predicted decreasing fugacities for the PCBs, and thus could not support the observation of increased bivalve C_PCB seen in the field data study. It was suggested that the PCB pattern change in the bivalves could be influenced by algae-growth dynamics in the watercolumn. This would selectively intensify the washout of the ligher chlorinated homologues from the water and, thereby, decrease their concentrations in the bivalves.