Radiolabeled cholesterol added to water samples was recovered less efficiently from river water than from distilled water by solvent extraction. However, if organic matter in river water was destroyed with UV radiation prior to cholesterol addition, recovery was equivalent to that from distilled water. This demonstrated that cholesterol could be bound by dissolved organic matter and stabilized in the aqueous phase. Water samples containing radiolabeled cholesterol or the PCB isomer 2,2',5,5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl were fractionated by gel permeation chromatography. Results indicated that these compounds were associated with high molecular weight organic matter present in the samples. © 1979, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.