Correlation between Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Wharf Roach (Ligia spp.) and Environmental Components of the Intertidal and Supralittoral Zone along the Japanese Coast

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in wharf roach (Ligia spp.), as an environmental indicator, and in environmental components of the intertidal and supralittoral zones were determined, and the PAH exposure pathways in wharf roach were estimated. Wharf roaches, mussels, and environmental media (water, soil and sand, and drifting seaweed) were collected from 12 sites in Japan along coastal areas of the Sea of Japan. PAH concentrations in wharf roaches were higher than those in mussels (median total of 15 PAHs: 48.5 and 39.9 ng/g-dry weight (dw), respectively) except for samples from Ishikawa (wharf roach: 47.9 ng/g-dw; mussel: 132 ng/g-dw). The highest total PAH concentration in wharf roach was from Akita (96.0 ng/g-dw), followed by a sample from Niigata (85.2 ng/g-dw). Diagnostic ratio analysis showed that nearly all PAHs in soil and sand were of petrogenic origin. Based on a correlation analysis of PAH concentrations between wharf roach and the environmental components, wharf roach exposure to three- and four-ring PAHs was likely from food (drifting seaweed) and from soil and sand, whereas exposure to four- and five-ring PAHs was from several environmental components. These findings suggest that the wharf roach can be used to monitor PAH pollution in the supralittoral zone and in the intertidal zone.

Mechanistic Implications of the Varying Susceptibility of PAHs to Pyro-Catalytic Treatment as a Function of Their Ionization Potential and Hydrophobicity

“…The stability of PAHs is often determined by their aromaticity, electronic structure, π-bonding interactions, and geometry. − As PAH size increases, their electrons become less tightly bound, and the electronic structure becomes less stable . The instability is often tied to the HOMO–LUMO energy separation gaps, where larger gaps (commonly associated with smaller compounds) are more stable because adding or removing electrons from these orbitals is unfavorable. − However, hydrophobicity (log K ow ) increases with PAH size, resulting in more prominent hydrophobic interactions . This trend indicates that other factors such as PAH sorption to soil OM and molecular size influencing pore diffusion may limit accessibility to catalytic sites and hinder DET.…”

“…54−57 However, hydrophobicity (log K ow ) increases with PAH size, resulting in more prominent hydrophobic interactions. 58 This trend indicates that other factors such as PAH sorption to soil OM and molecular size influencing pore diffusion may limit accessibility to catalytic sites and hinder DET.…”

Sources, Occurrences, and Risks of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydro-Carbons (PAHs) in Bangladesh: A Review of Current Status

“…In the recent years, there has been significant interest in the bioaccumulation capacity of aquatic organisms and the biotoxicity of PAHs in freshwater, bay area, coastal, and marine ecosystems worldwide [19,20]. Research efforts have primarily focused on quantifying PAH concentrations in sediment, water, and aquatic organisms, with particular attention to source identification, risks, and human health implications [21][22][23][24][25][26][27].…”

Development of gold(i) phosphorescent tweezers for sensing applications

“…[25][26][27] PAHs are formed by two or more aromatic rings. This definition includes more than 100 chemical species, 28 from which the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has highlighted 16 PAHs due to their harmful effects on human and environmental health. 29,30 This family of compounds can be classified as two main groups in terms of their molecular weight: low molecular weight (LMW) with two and three aromatic rings, and high molecular weight (HMW) with four or more rings.…”