Bioaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by arctic and temperate benthic species

Abstract

Increasing oil and gas activities may substantially increase chemical stress to benthic ecosystems in the Arctic, and it is necessary to evaluate such environmental risks in these systems. Risk assessment procedures for oil‐related compounds (e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAHs]) should address differences in exposure between Arctic and temperate benthos. We compare for the first time the bioaccumulation of PAHs by Arctic benthic invertebrate species with that of temperate species, based on their biota–sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs). Measured PAH BSAFs were generally higher in temperate bivalves (Limecola balthica) than in Arctic bivalves (Macoma calcarea), whereas BSAFs in Arctic polychaetes (Nephtys ciliata) were higher than in temperate polychaetes (Alitta virens). Differences in measured BSAFs were explained by species‐specific feeding modes and traits. However, modeled BSAFs revealed that steady state was not likely to be reached in the 28‐d tests for all PAHs and organisms. Due to the low numbers of individuals, most species‐specific parameters were too uncertain to reveal differences between Arctic and temperate species. The results of the present study suggest that data from temperate species could be used as a surrogate for Arctic species in risk assessment. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:883–895. © 2019 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.

Exposure radius of a local coal mine in an Arctic coastal system; correlation between PAHs and mercury as a marker for a local mercury source

“…10, lowest panel). This was also found in earlier studies where BSAFs of PAHs were generally low (BSAF < 1) (Szczybelski et al, 2019). BSAF values for the Lovénbreen and Krossfjorden were closer together (0.4-1.0 and 1.0-1.5).…”

Relationship between Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Sediments and Invertebrates of Natural and Artificial Stormwater Retention Ponds

“…However, the PAH levels were quite similar to what was found for benthic invertebrates in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard [54], and also to what Thuy et al [55] reported as common for various bivalves in the ocean. The concentrations in the invertebrates of the present study were furthermore quite below potential bioaccumulation levels reported for high-exposure scenarios for arctic and temperate marine invertebrates reported by Szczybelski et al [56]. A PCA of invertebrates from the SWRPs (18 biota samples distributed on 4 taxa, Table 1) and the natural, shallow lakes (19 biota samples distributed on 4 taxa) showed that PC1 accounted for 30.1% of the total variance, whereas PC2 accounted for 19.7% (Figure 4).…”

Occurrence of 3-nitrobenzanthrone and other powerful mutagenic polycyclic aromatic compounds in living organisms: polychaetes

“…Due to it has induced the highest number of revertants acenaphthylene (ACY), acenaphthene (ACE), fluorene (FLU), phenanthrene (PHE), and anthracene (ANT) were detected in all analyzed samples with maximum concentrations ranging from 0.800 µg g −1 dry weight (dw) (ANT) to 7.14 µg g −1 dw (PHE). These values were similar to those presented by Szczybelski et al 37 which reported LMW PAH concentrations in the range of 0.149 µg g −1 dw (ANT) to 2.46 µg g −1 (PHE) and 0.100 µg g −1 dw (ANT) to 2.28 µg g −1 dw (PHE) for polychaetes Nephtys ciliata and Alitta virens, respectively. In that study the authors analyzed the PAH content in polychaetes living in impacted sediment collected in Oosterchelde Estuary, Netherlands.…”