Tissue distribution, bioaccumulation, and carcinogenic risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in aquatic organisms from Lake Chaohu, China

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 749; p. 141577
• Main Authors: Qin, Ning, He, Wei, Liu, Wenxiu, Kong, Xiangzhen, Xu, Fuliu, Giesy, John P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 20.12.2020
• Subjects: Animals; Aquatic Organisms; Bioaccumulation; Carcinogens; China; Environmental Monitoring; Health risk; Humans; Lake Chaohu; Lakes; PAHs; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - analysis; Risk Assessment; Tissue Distribution; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; China; PAHs; Tissue distribution; Lake Chaohu; Bioaccumulation; Health risk
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141577

Freshwater products consumed in the diet are among the major sources of exposure of humans to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In this study, eight freshwater organisms and environmental samples were collected from Chaohu Lake, the fifth-largest lake in China. The levels of PAHs in the collected organisms were measured using GC–MS. Tissue distribution characteristics in three fish species were studied. Relationship between residual levels and environment concentrations were analyzed and bioaccumulation effect and influencing factors were identified. Finally, the potential carcinogenic risk of aquatic product intake was estimated. The concentrations of ΣPAHs in aquatic organisms varied from 18.4 to 398 ng/g, with a mean value of 157 ± 125 ng/g. For carp, the highest ΣPAHs level was detected in the brain with concentration of 591 ng/g. For topmouth culter, and bighead fish, the organs with the greatest ΣPAHs concentration were gills (440 ng/g) and muscles (200 ng/g), respectively. Significant correlations were found between the PAH content in environment media including water, SPM, sediment and PAH content in aquatic animals. The calculation of food web magnification factors and risk assessment indicates that although the PAH concentration diluted with the increase of the trophic level, PAHs exposure through the aquatic products intake still poses potential carcinogenic risk. The incremental lifetime cancer risk values were 7.68 × 10−6 and 4.75 × 10−6 in urban and rural populations, respectively. [Display omitted] •Different tissue distribution patterns of PAHs in three fish species were observed.•PAHs levels in aquatic organisms were influenced by environment media.•Bioaccumulation factors and influencing factors were revealed.•Trophic dilution effect was detected for PAHs in the freshwater food web.•Potential cancer risk was found in rural and urban consumers of aquatic products.