Distributions and compositional patterns of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their derivatives in three edible fishes from Kharg coral Island, Persian Gulf, Iran

Abstract

This is the first report on bioaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their derivatives (oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, hydroxyl, carbonyl and methylcontaining PAHs) in three edible marine fishes, namely Lutjanus argentimaculatus, Lethrinus microdon and Scomberomorus guttatus, from Kharg Island, Persian Gulf, Iran. The concentrations (ng g−1dw) of Σ39PAHs resulted significantly higher in fish liver than muscle, with the PAH composition pattern dominated by low molecular weight compounds (naphthalene, alkyl-naphthalenes and phenanthrene). The highest mean concentrations of ∑9 oxygenated and ∑15 hydroxylated PAHs (ng g−1dw) were found ound in L. microdon and L. argentimaculatus, respectively, while the lowest values in S. guttatus. Additionally, the highest mean concentrations of Σ5 carbonylic PAHs (ng g−1dw) were found in L. argentimaculatus, followed by L. microdon. The PAHs levels and distribution in fish liver and muscle were dependent on both the Kow of PAHs congeners and fish lipid contents. Overall, the present findings provide important baseline data for further research on the ecotoxicity of PAHs in aquatic organisms, and consequent implications for human health.

Toxicities of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons for Aquatic Animals

“…Since PAHs are lipophilic compounds, tissue distributions of PAHs are correlated with lipid contents. Jafarabadi et al [139] and Yu et al [162] detected positive correlations between lipid contents and total PAH concentrations in marine fish, which reflected that lipid content was the important factor for tissue-specific accumulation. However, Frapiccini et al [98], Soltani et al [163], and Zhao et al [142] detected extremely weak positive correlations or no correlations between lipid content and PAH concentrations in the tissues of fish.…”

“…For example, fish are considered to have a higher metabolism capacity and can metabolize/depure PAHs quickly; therefore, a generally positive correlation between the concentration of PAHs in the body and the K ow value is not observed in higher trophic-level fish [134]. Additionally, several previous studies suggested that species differences in the metabolism capacity of PAHs are strongly suggested for fish and invertebrates [138][139][140]. These differences may be caused by species differences in intake pathway and efficiency, capacity of xebiotics to metabolize, and ability of depuration/excretion.…”

“…On the other hand, it is worth describing several trends of PAH accumulation in fish. Low-molecular-weight compounds (naphthalene and three-ring PAHs) are dominant among PAHs [133,139,140,161] due to their bioavailability, including relatively high water solubility. This bioavailability can cause higher uptake rates compared with high-molecular-weight PAHs via the surface area, especially the gill.…”

“…Biomonitoring species in coastal areas requires several special biological properties, such as wide distribution and settlement, easy sampling, high salinity tolerance capacity, and bioaccumulation properties for target chemicals [170,171]. Based on these requirements, bivalves, such as oysters and mussels, are most commonly used as "environmental indicators" on the mussel watch project that aims to monitor various contaminants in coastal areas [145,[172][173][174][175][176] and, additionally, monitor PAH derivatives such as nitro PAHs and hydroxy PAHs [139,177]. For example, Tanaka and Onduka [178] collected a total of 1725 of seven species of bivalves-Mytilus galloprovincialis, Septifer virgatus, Crassostrea gigas, Perna viridis, Hormomya mutabilis, Crenomytilus grayanus, Modiolus philippinarum-from 64 sampling sites in coastal areas around the entire area of Japan and surveyed the background levels of 17 PAHs.…”

Interannual Survey on Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Seawater of North Nanao Bay, Ishikawa, Japan, from 2015 to 2018: Sources, Pathways and Ecological Risk Assessment

“…Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a family of pollutants formed by the imperfect combustion of fossil fuels and organic matter such as wood and grass; they can also naturally occur in petroleum derivates [1]. Because of their environmental hazards and health risks to humans and marine life [2][3][4][5][6], the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has listed them as priority pollutants [7,8]. Determining the environmental behavior and distribution of PAHs is important for the assessment, management and protection of wildlife health in various environments.…”