Assessment of Aliphatic and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Trace Elements in Coastal Sediments of the Saronikos Gulf, Greece (Eastern Mediterranean)

Sklivagou, E.; Varnavas, Soterios P.; Hatzianestis, I.; Kanias, G. D.

doi:10.1080/10641190802474554

Cited by 24 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Although lower than the latter levels, Elefsis Bay sediments exhibited a high degree of PAH contamination (1,616-3,569 ng g −1 ). These levels are similar to those found in sediments collected during 1993-1994 (Sklivagou et al 2008) and reflect the impact of the most heavily industrialized area of Attica, which includes steel plating, oil refineries, shipyards and oil tanker anchorage.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 61%

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in marine sediments of the Hellenic coastal zone, eastern Mediterranean: levels, sources and toxicological significance

Botsou

Hatzianestis

2011

J Soils Sediments

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Purpose Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread in sediments, particularly near areas of intense human activities. Due to their mutagenic and carcinogenic behaviour, PAHs are classified as priority contaminants to be monitored in environmental quality control schemes. The purpose of this study was to determine the levels of PAHs in major coastal areas of Greece that receive various pressures, investigate their sources and evaluate their potential toxicity by comparison against effects-based Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQG). Materials and methods Forty-one sediment samples were collected from four areas of the Hellenic coastline. PAH concentrations were determined by GC-MS, after Soxhlet extraction and fractionation by silica column chromatography. Source apportionment was conducted by isomeric ratio diagnostic criteria. The mean quotient Effects RangeMedian (m-ERM) was used to evaluate the potential of adverse effects posed to benthic organisms. Results and discussion The levels of PAHs were found to vary widely from 100 to more than 26,000 ng g −1 . The highest levels were found in the close vicinity of an alumina production plant in the Gulf of Corinth. High levels of PAHs were also found at a few sites in each of the areas studied, close to a nickel production plant (North Evoikos Gulf), at the rainwater and wastewater outfalls of the great urban areas of Athens and Thessaloniki and at the industrialized area of Elefsis Bay (Saronikos Gulf). At the most contaminated sites PAH had a pyrolytic origin. Comparison of PAH levels to the SQG indicated that less than 15% of the sites studied have an intermediate probability (24-49%) of being toxic. Conclusions In general, discrete point sources were identified as the major contributors of PAH contamination in the Hellenic coastal zone. Therefore, source control measures should be considered for protecting, or restoring, sediment quality, particularly in areas that support a diversity of anthropogenic activities (e.g. fishing, tourism, industry).

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 61%

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in marine sediments of the Hellenic coastal zone, eastern Mediterranean: levels, sources and toxicological significance

Botsou

Hatzianestis

2011

J Soils Sediments

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“…They are at least one order of magnitude lower than those reported for coastal areas subjected to enhanced urban and/or fluvial inputs such as Saronikos Gulf, Greece (Sklivagou et al, 2008); the coastal area off Barcelona, Spain (Tolosa et al, 1996); the Danube estuary, Black Sea (Readman et al, 2002;Wakeham, 1996); and the coastal area off Alexandria, Egypt (Aboul-Kassim and Simoneit, 1995). Total sedimentary PAH concentrations are also significantly lower than those reported for surface sediments in coastal/estuarine areas in the Mediterranean Sea and worldwide receiving enhanced anthropogenic inputs (e.g., Bouloubassi et al, 2012;Cardellicchio et al, 2007;Lipiatou and Saliot, 1991;Sklivagou et al, 2008;Tolosa et al, 1996;Witt, 1995). They are also lower than concentrations found in deep-sea settings such as the Black Sea (Wakeham, 1996), Cap Ferret Canyon/Atlantic Ocean (OSPAR QRS, 2000) and the Arctic Ocean (Yunker et al, 2011).…”

Section: Aliphatic and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Levelsmentioning

confidence: 55%

“…Aliphatic hydrocarbons and PAHs have been investigated over the last decades in surficial sediments of the EMS, primarily in coastal or shallow basin sites in the Aegean Sea, southern Italy, the coast of Egypt and the Adriatic Sea (Aboul-Kassim and Simoneit, 1995;Alebic-Juretic, 2011;Botsou and Hatzianestis, 2012;Cardellicchio et al, 2007;Gogou et al, 2000;Gonul and Kucuksezgin, 2012;Guzzella and De Paolis, 1994;Marcomini et al, 1986;Nemr et al, 2007;Sklivagou et al, 2008;Yilmaz et al, 1998). However, there is an important lack of data regarding their occurrence in deep basins, which might represent a long-term sink for hydrocarbons.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occurrence, sources and transport pathways of natural and anthropogenic hydrocarbons in deep-sea sediments of the eastern Mediterranean Sea

et al. 2013

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Abstract. Surface sediments collected from deep basins (1018-4087 m depth) of the eastern Mediterranean Sea (Ionian Sea, southern Aegean Sea and northwestern Levantine Sea) were analyzed for aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as tracers of natural and anthropogenic inputs. Concentrations of total aliphatic hydrocarbons, n-alkanes and the unresolved complex mixture (UCM) of aliphatic hydrocarbons varied significantly, ranging from 1.34 to 49.2 µg g −1 , 145 to 4810 ng g −1 and 0.73 to 36.7 µg g −1 , respectively, while concentrations of total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) ranged between 11.6 and 223 ng g −1 . Molecular profiles of determined hydrocarbons reflect a mixed contribution from both natural and anthropogenic sources in deep-sea sediments of the eastern Mediterranean Sea, i.e., terrestrial plant waxes, degraded petroleum products, unburned fossil fuels and combustion of grass, wood and coal. Hydrocarbon mixtures display significant variability amongst sub-regions, reflecting differences in the relative importance of inputs from various sources and phase associations/transport pathways of individual hydrocarbons that impact on their overall distribution and fate. Hydrocarbon concentrations correlated significantly with the organic carbon content of sediments, indicating that the latter exerts an important control on their transport and ultimate accumulation in deep basins. Additionally, water masses' circulation characteristics also seem to influence the regional features and distribution patterns of hydrocarbons. Our findings highlight the role of deep basins/canyons as repositories of both natural and anthropogenic chemical species.

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“…These values may be considered high compared with concentrations from areas with little anthropogenic influence (Gogou et al 2000;Cotou et al 2005;Sklivagou et al 2008) and indicate contamination of all the examined sediment samples with various oil products. This is enhanced by the high abundance of the unresolved complex mixture (UCM) quantity in all sampling sites.…”

Section: Organic Compoundsmentioning

confidence: 87%

Environmental status of the metropolitan river (Kifissos) of Athens, Greece

et al. 2010

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Surficial and sub-surficial sediments obtained from the lower course of the Kifissos River, which drains the Athens Basin, have been analyzed for heavy metals and aliphatic and polycyclic hydrocarbons. Oddly, the calculated enrichment factors for the identified heavy metals, with the baseline taken from a pristine area in the adjacent Saronikos Gulf, are very low excluding only those related to Cu and Zn. In contrast, the enrichment factors for the measured hydrocarbons are particularly high. However, physicochemical water conditions and annual flushing episodes of the Kifissos River may have reduced significantly the sediment chemical fingerprint found out by the present study. Moreover, an evaluation of the fluvial sediment quality based on the enriched Cu and Zn amounts and concentration of PAH fraction with a consideration of the biological thresholds proposed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (USA) reveals little probability for serious biological impairments. Additionally, sediment toxicity due to the sediment PAH load may be considered as minimum.

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Assessment of Aliphatic and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Trace Elements in Coastal Sediments of the Saronikos Gulf, Greece (Eastern Mediterranean)

Cited by 24 publications

References 30 publications

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in marine sediments of the Hellenic coastal zone, eastern Mediterranean: levels, sources and toxicological significance

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in marine sediments of the Hellenic coastal zone, eastern Mediterranean: levels, sources and toxicological significance

Occurrence, sources and transport pathways of natural and anthropogenic hydrocarbons in deep-sea sediments of the eastern Mediterranean Sea

Environmental status of the metropolitan river (Kifissos) of Athens, Greece

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