Assessment of PAH pollution in the southern Baltic Sea through the analysis of sediment, mussels and fish bile

Abstract

The concentrations of fifteen PAH compounds in samples of sediment and blue mussel tissue (Mytilus trossulus) were measured. In addition, the biliary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites present in flounder (Platichthys flesus) were analysed. Two methods were used in the analysis of PAH metabolites; high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and fixed wavelength fluorescence (FF). The major PAH metabolite which could be measured using the HPLC method was 1-OH pyrene. It was possible to detect 1-OH Phe and 3-OH B[a]P in 70 and 24 samples respectively, of the 87 samples analysed. However, the concentrations of 1-OH Phe and 3-OH B[a]P were below or near to the LOQ (0.002 μg ml(-1) bile). The bile of flounder samples from the Gulf of Gdańsk had 1-OH Pyr concentrations which ranged from 0.019 to 0.066 μg ml(-1) bile. The high linear correlation observed between the quantity of 1-OH pyrene determined by the HPLC-F method and the content of the sum of pyrene-type PAHs obtained by the FF method indicated the FF method of determination of pyrene-type PAH metabolites can be used as a screening method. The content of ∑(15)PAHs in sediments collected in the Gulf of Gdansk, in 2008, ranged from 29.3 to 103 μg kg(-1) dw. In mussel tissue ∑(15)PAHs concentrations were between 173.2 μg kg(-1) dw and 237.7 μg kg(-1) dw. All concentrations measured in the current study, in mussel tissue, were below the OSPAR toxicity threshold values.

Baseline concentrations of biliary PAH metabolites in perch ( Perca fluviatilis ) in the open Gulf of Finland and in two coastal areas

“…In flounder caught in the Baltic Sea near the Denmark Strait in 2004, the biliary concentrations of 1-OH pyrene were on average similar to those in perch of the present study, but those in dab from the North Sea were on average lower than in perch (Kammann, 2007). Ruczynska et al (2011) detected similar concentrations of 1-OH pyrene in the bile of flounders from the Gulf of Gdansk (Table 1) to those in perch of the present study. The low concentrations of biliary 1-OH pyrene in perch also reported in other studies (Table 1) (Keinänen et al, 2012), in addition to open sea spills (HELCOM, 2015).…”

“…The most commonly detected PAH metabolite in fish bile has been 1-hydroxypyrene (Nagel et al, 2012;Ruczynska et al, 2011;Vuontisjärvi et al, 2004). Pyrene is a four-ring PAH compound, and crude oils contain approximately 3% PAHs, i.e., 3-6-ring PAHs (Neff, 1979).…”

“…These metabolites were also measured in the bile of perch caught in the Stockholm archipelago during a three-year survey campaign (Hansson et al, 2006b). Ruczynska et al (2011) sampled flounder in 2008 from the Gulf of Gdansk and analysed bile for PAH metabolites. Vuorinen et al (2003) and Pikkarainen (2006) measured PAH metabolites in the bile of perch caught in one-off sampling from the Gulf of Finland in 2001.…”

Ecological risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons found in coastal sediments along the northern shores of the Bohai Sea (China)

“…Instead, they are adsorbed by organic-matter-rich sediments and subsequently undergo bioconcentration through the aquatic food chain. [24] The estuaries and shallow coastal waters of Bohai contain aquaculture farms that produce food-quality kelp, shellfish, crustaceans and fish. Products harvested from the sea may be adversely affected by PAHs in the sediment.…”

“…When degradation occurs, eco-risks change due to the varying compositions and concentrations of the PAHs present. The environmental concentrations of PAHs are commonly reported on a mass basis, [11,24] however, eco-toxicological reactions of pollutants, including PAHs, take place at the molecular level. [25] Because the molecular masses of the 16 PAHs vary at the same total concentrations, calculated risks based on mass concentrations may differ from those based on molecular concentrations.…”