In winter of 1995, the concentrat ion of total organic carbon ( TC ) , total nitrogen ( TN) , total phosphorus ( TP) and pH in bottom sediments of each of four, 11- , 16- , 13- yr- old shrimp ponds in Qingdao of China were determined and the vertical distribution of them was studied. The results showed that the concentrations of TOC and TN in bottom sediment were increased with pond age, polluting depth were 20- 30 cm for clay soil, were 40 cm for silt . The pollution of surface sediment is more serious than that of deep sediment, and pollution of surface sediment of clay soil is more serious than that of silt soil. The concentrations of TP in bottom sediment were decreased with pond age, so that TP was absent. The depth of disturbed layer of TP was equal to the depth of polluted layer of TOC and TN. The pH of bottom sediment does not have regular change.