Distribution of the persistent organic pollutants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, between water, sediments and biota

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic compounds continue to be regarded as a major environmental threat, especially in the aquatic environment. To gather further information on the distribution and levels of these persistent organic compound in natural waters, the current analytical study was carried out. Material collected from multiple sites within the coastal and open sea areas of several surface water bodies had different levels of polycyclic aromatic compounds. Concentrations of dissolved, particle- and biota-associated compounds (i.e., benzo (a)pyrene, benzo(e)pyrene, pyrene, chrysene and so on) were measured by multiple analytical techniques. The sediment and biota samples were extracted using Soxhlet extraction followed by analysis using reverse-phased liquid chromatography with ultraviolet and fluorescence detection and high resolution luminescence spectroscopy. This group of pollutants was significantly enriched in particulate matter, sediments and biota material at all sites relative to water concentrations. On the basis of data obtained, the enrichment factors of 10 to 105 for different carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic compounds in the particulate material and biota are reported. Higher concentrations of the more hydrophobic compounds were found in sediments. Thus, the bottom biota may be exposed to higher levels of hydrophobic pollutants than organisms residing in the upper sediment-water interface.

Biomarker responses and disease susceptibility in juvenile rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss fed a high molecular weight PAH mixture

“…Complex mixtures of PAHs are signatures of industrialization and urbanization [3] and contribute to pollution in aquatic environments through atmospheric deposition, storm water runoff, and wastewater discharges from industrial and municipal sources [4]. The concentrations of PAHs in estuarine and marine environments are expected to increase due to the continued use of petroleum-fueled motor vehicles and development of coastal cities ( [5]; http://www.ecy.wa.gov/ biblio/0503016.html).…”

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in clams Ruditapes decussatus (Linnaeus, 1758)

“…[3][4][5][6][7][8] Due to their lipophilic behaviour, they adsorb onto particles and end up in the sediments. [9][10][11] However, sediments may not accurately reflect the environmental load of PAHs as transient contamination in the water column is often not recorded in the sediments. 12 In these cases, organisms are better indicators since they accumulate and, therefore, ''record'' the contaminants present in the aquatic environment.…”

Evaluación de la contaminación por hidrocarburos aromáticos policíclicos en sedimentos recientes y moluscos (bivalvos) en el sistema lagunar La Grande-La Chica, Veracruz, México

“…En particular, se forman de la pirólisis del carbón, gas, madera, basura, petróleo y sus derivados en chimeneas, motores automotrices, procesos industriales e incendios forestales, entre otros (Kirso et al, 2001;Notar et al, 2001). Están generalmente representados por la gran abundancia de HAP de 3-5 anillos, tales como antraceno y benzo(a)pireno (Waverly et al, 2004).…”