Spatial distribution, sources and ecological risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface seawater from Yangpu Bay, China

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 93; no. 1-2; pp. 53 - 60
• Main Authors: Li, Ping, Cao, Jia, Diao, Xiaoping, Wang, Baihua, Zhou, Hailong, Han, Qian, Zheng, Pengfei, Li, Yuhu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 15.04.2015
• Subjects: Bays - chemistry; China; coasts; Ecological risk assessment; Ecology; environmental assessment; Environmental Monitoring; Marine; Oil contamination; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - analysis; risk; Risk Assessment; Seasons; seawater; Seawater - chemistry; Source; summer; Surface seawater; United States; United States Environmental Protection Agency; water pollution; winter; Yangpu Bay; USA; ISEW, China, People's Rep., Hainan Prov., Yangpu; China, People's Rep; China; Yangpu Bay; Oil contamination; Surface seawater; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Source; Ecological risk assessment
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.02.015

•The status and composition of fourteen PAHs in surface seawater were studied.•PAHs displayed spatial and temporal variations in the concentration and composition pattern.•The primary source of PAHs in surface seawater was petrogenic contamination.•The potential ecological risk of individual PAHs had reached moderate to high levels. The occurrence of 14 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) listed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency was investigated in surface seawater of Yangpu Bay, China in November 2013 (winter) and May 2014 (summer). Seventy-two samples were collected from 12 sampling sites. The total concentrations of PAHs in Yangpu Bay showed obvious variations in different seasons, which varied from 582.8 to 2208.3ngL−1 in winter and 952.4 to 1201.7ngL−1 in summer, respectively. Two-ring PAHs accounted for more than 91.6% of total PAHs in winter, and three-ring PAHs were dominant with 81.6% of total PAHs in summer. Molecular indices analyses indicated that the main source of PAHs in Yangpu Bay could be petrogenic contamination. The ecological risk assessment by Risk quotients (RQNCs and RQMPCs) showed a potential ecological risk of PAHs in Yangpu Bay, indicating a close attention should be paid to pollution of PAHs in the coastal area of Yangpu.