In order to evaluate the pollution level and risk of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), seawater, sediments, and organisms were sampled from the southern sea area of Zhejiang province (Yangtze River Delta, China) between 2017 and 2019. Petroleum hydrocarbons were widely present in the aquatic environment as well as in products, and their concentrations were highly variable. The average value of PI exceeded 1 from 2017 to 2018, 45.46% to 69.19% samples for seawater and 56.87% to 50.00% samples for sediment were polluted. The results showed significant differences in the TPH concentration in various aquatic organism species. The average TPH value in aquatic organisms order was bivalve>shrimp>crab>fish, further reflecting the ability to accumulate and metabolize TPH exists differently among aquatic organisms within the same culturing pond environment. It is relatively safe to eat aquatic products based on the exposure risk index far below threshold values in this study. Therefore, it will be prudent to undertake regular monitoring of TPH to ensure effective ecosystem functioning as well as seafood safety in Zhejiang southern ocean.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.