Ecological risk analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface sediments from Laizhou Bay

Abstract

Concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface sediments collected from 17 stations in Laizhou Bay were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results showed that the total concentrations of PAHs varied from 23.3 to 292.65 ng/g with a mean value of 134.27 ng/g. The total PAHs concentrations were at lower level compared to other marine coastal areas. The proportion of two to four ring PAHs was quite high. Sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) were conducted to assess the toxicity posed to the benthic community by PAHs. It was showed that concentrations of PAHs were below their respective effects range-median (ERM) and probable effects level (PEL) values in 17 stations using effects range-low (ERL)/ERM values and threshold effects level (TEL)/PEL values. Acenaphthene concentrations in surface sediment exceed TEL only in station L14, the concentrations were at levels where adverse biological effects may occasionally occur (> or =TEL and <PEL) in the station. Fluorene concentrations were in the intermediate range (> or =ERL/TEL and <ERM/PEL) in stations L05, L07, L15, and L16, indicating that occasionally adverse biological effects were likely to occur for fluorene at the four stations. Acenaphthylene levels in all stations are lower than corresponding ERL values, while TEL level was exceeded in 59% of the stations. Naphthalene concentrations exceeded ERL only in station L05, while naphthalene levels in 59% of the stations were in the intermediate range (> or =TEL and <PEL). It was implied that concentrations of acenaphthylene and naphthalene that exceed ERL/TEL have been found to be occasionally associated with adverse biological effects at 59% of the Laizhou Bay stations. It was found that four PAHs (benzo[b]fluroranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[g,h,i]perylene, and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene) had probably certain risk in all stations. The mean PAH ERM-Qs for all stations in Laizhou Bay did not exceed the value of 0.1, indicating that the potential combined ecological risks of PAHs in surface sediments are generally low.

Source and Ecological Risk Characteristics of PAHs in Sediments from Qinhuai River and Xuanwu Lake, Nanjing, China

“…Relative percentages of sites are 23%, 85%, 67%, and 86% in autumn, winter, spring, and summer, respectively, of which ∑PAHs concentrations are below TEL values, suggesting that the adverse biological effects may be unlikely to occur. In this study, Low molecular weight PAHs (LMWPAHs) concentrations were in the intermediate range (⩾ERL and <ERM), indicating that occasionally adverse biological effects were likely to occur for LMWPAHs at most sites of Qinhuai River during four seasons, which is the same as that studied by Liu et al [83]. [86].…”

“…Therefore, ecological risk assessment of PAHs in surface sediments from the city-river like Qinhuai River is very important to protect human health and for ecological environment security. The need for chemical guidelines that could be used to predict adverse biological effects in contaminated sediments led to the development of sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) during the last decade [83]. SQGs developed on the basis of Biological Effects Database for Sediments (BEDS) are very useful for sediment assessments in freshwater and marine environments.…”

Levels and distribution of Dechlorane Plus in coastal sediments of the Yellow Sea, North China

“…The Bohai Sea is a hot spot when considering contamination with POPs. High concentrations of PAHs, PBDEs and PCBs have been found in the sediments (Zhao et al, 2005;Liu et al, 2009;Pan et al, 2010). Though there are no DP data in Bohai Sea reported, high concentration of DP can be supposed as it receives large input of contaminations from surrounding cities.…”

Oil Contamination in Ogoniland, Niger Delta

“…Hence, various assessments based on ''effects range low'' (ERL), ''effects range medium'' (ERM), ''threshold effects limits,'' and ''probable effects limits'' (TEL/PEL) have been made for total polyaromatic hydrocarbons and certain individual PAHs (Cardellicchio et al 2007;Liu et al 2009;Bejarano and Michel 2010;Neser et al 2012). For soils on land, there are certain recommendations related to the sum of the 16 most important PAHs.…”