Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Fishes and Sediments from the Guanabara Bay, Brazil

• Published in: Environmental forensics Vol. 8; no. 3; pp. 257 - 264
• Main Authors: da Silva, Taís Freitas, de Almeida Azevedo, Débora, de Aquino Neto, Francisco Radler
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 29.08.2007
• Subjects: fish; Mugil; PAHs; Pisces; sediment; ASW, Brazil; ASW, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Guanabara Bay
• ISSN: 1527-5922; 1527-5930
• DOI: 10.1080/15275920701506433

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were identified and quantified in sediment and fish samples. The samples were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to gather information about the degree of contamination. PAH total concentration ranged from 79 to 487 μ g/kg dry weight in surficial sediment samples and from 4 to 53 μ g/kg in fish samples. Most sediment samples were classified as fairly contaminated (at 250-500 μ g/kg of total PAH). The lowest and highest Σ PAH concentrations in fish (4 to 53 μ g/kg) were found for Mugil lisa and Micropogonias furniere, respectively. The PAHs in sediment and fish samples are derived primarily from mixed sources.