Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments from Pueblo Viejo, Tamiahua, and Tampamachoco Lagoons in the Southern Gulf of Mexico

• Published in: Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology Vol. 60; no. 1; pp. 96 - 103
• Main Authors: BOTELLO, A. V, CALVA B, L. G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Springer-Verlag 1998; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinogens - analysis; Chromatography, Gas; Ecosystem; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Monitoring; Fisheries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Lagoons; Marine and brackish environment; Mexico; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - analysis; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Gulf of Mexico; ASW, Mexico, Veracruz, Tampamachoco Lagoon; ASW, Mexico Gulf; ASW, Mexico; Marine environment; Marine sediments; Polycyclic aromatic compound; Soil pollution
• ISSN: 0007-4861; 1432-0800
• DOI: 10.1007/s001289900596

Surface-sediment samples were collected from the coastal lagoons of Pueblo Viejo, Tamiahua, and Tampamachoco, Mexico, and the presence of PAHs was determined. PAHs were determined in sediments from specific locations in all three lagoons. In Pueblo Viejo, 44% of the PAH totals corresponded to those consisting of four benzene rings, and 9% consisted of five-ring compounds. In Tamiahua Lagoon, the greatest percentage of PAHs corresponded to four-ring aromatics, followed by three-ring compounds, while in Tampamachoco Lagoon, 58% of the total PAHs were present as four-ring compounds, while 18% were present as three-ring compounds. The PAH concentrations were found to be independent of the percentages of organic carbon present in the respective lagoons. The possible PAH sources in each lagoon are discussed.