Fate of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Seawater from the Western Pacific to the Southern Ocean (17.5°N to 69.2°S) and Their Inventories on the Antarctic Shelf

Abstract

Semivolatile organic compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have the potential to reach pristine environments through long-range transport. To investigate the long-range transport of the PAHs and their fate in Antarctic seawater, dissolved PAHs in the surface waters from the western Pacific to the Southern Ocean (17.5°N to 69.2°S), as well as down to 3500 m PAH profiles in Prydz Bay and the adjacent Southern Ocean, were observed during the 27th Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition in 2010. The concentrations of Σ9PAH in the surface seawater ranged from not detected (ND) to 21 ng L(-1), with a mean of 4.3 ng L(-1); and three-ring PAHs were the most abundant compounds. Samples close to the Australian mainland displayed the highest levels across the cruise. PAHs originated mainly from pyrogenic sources, such as grass, wood, and coal combustion. Vertical profiles of PAHs in Prydz Bay showed a maximum at a depth of 50 m and less variance with depth. In general, we inferred that the water masses as well as the phytoplankton were possible influencing factors on PAH surface-enrichment depth-depletion distribution. Inventory estimation highlighted the contribution of intermediate and deep seawater on storing PAHs in seawater from Prydz Bay, and suggested that climate change rarely shows the rapid release of the PAHs currently stored in the major reservoirs (intermediate and deep seawater).

Microplastics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Xiamen coastal areas: Implications for anthropogenic impacts

“…For dissolved PAHs, the pre-treatment procedure was described in our previous paper in detail (Cai et al, 2016a;Ke et al, 2017). In brief, the targets on SPE cartridges were eluted with 10 mL of ethyl acetate (SIGMA-ALDRICH, HPLC, USA), with 8-9 g of anhydrous sodium sulfate (pre-combusted) (GB/T9853-2008) on its top to remove the water.…”

“…Moreover they have the special affinity for organic pollutants (Andrady, 2011;Wright et al, 2013), among which polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are one of the most widespread contaminants which have mainly pyrogenic sources. PAHs could pose serious risk to human health due to their toxicity, carcinogenicity and mutagenicity (Cai et al, 2016a). Therefore, microplastics play a role in aquatic ecotoxicology as vectors for these toxic substances, though the bioavailability of these pollutants carried by microplastics has not been studied in detail (Moore, 2008;Hartmann et al, 2017).…”

Occurrence and Risk Assessment of PAHs in Surface Sediments from Western Arctic and Subarctic Oceans

“…PAHs may undergo photo-degradation reaction with OH radicals during atmospheric LRT. Therefore, the diagnostic ratios would have a deviation because of direct or indirect photolysis and should be used with caution [ 7 ].…”

“…Simultaneously, scientists justified that during the formation, transportation, transformation, and degradation processes [ 5 ], PAHs can enter into human bodies through skin, breath, and alimentary canal, which contribute to an extreme threat to our health [ 6 ]. In addition, PAHs tend to remain in the environment for a long time due to their chemical stability, and they can migrate globally from areas of human activity through distillation and condensation [ 7 ]. That is why PAHs are the principal monitored contaminates and have been an increasing environmental concern in the last three decades.…”

Particulate Export of PAHs Firstly Traced by 210Po/210Pb Disequilibrium: Implication on the “Shelf Sink Effect” in the Arctic Ocean

“…Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of semivolatile organic compounds of great concern due to their toxicity and carcinogenic effects on humans and ecosystems (Cabrerizo et al., 2014; Cai et al., 2016; Gong et al., 2021; Gonzalez‐Gaya et al., 2016; Gustafsson et al., 1997; Ma et al., 2013; Wang et al., 2020). They have ongoing emissions from pyrogenic or petrogenic sources, and could arrive in polar regions through long‐range transport through the air or ocean currents, as their reported existence in Arctic seawater, marine sediment, freshwater, snow, air, soil, and biota (Balmer et al., 2019; Ding et al., 2007; Ke et al., 2017; Lin et al., 2020; Lohmann et al., 2009; Rigét et al., 2019; Yunker et al., 2002; Zheng et al., 2021).…”