Environmental profile, potential sources, and ecological risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a typical coastal bay and outer bay area

As a class of persistent organic pollutants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widely present and accumulate in multimedia environments. The pollution characteristics, spatiotemporal distribution, potential sources, influencing factors, and ecological risks of 16 PAHs were investigated in the water-sediment system of the Hangzhou Bay and outer bay area (HZB and OBA, respectively). The total concentrations of 16 PAHs ( n-ary sumation (PAHs)) were 220 +/- 97.0 and 130 +/- 36.0 ng/L in the seawater and 343 +/- 179 and 505 +/- 415 mu g/kg (dry weight) in the sediments of the HZB and OBA, respectively. The pollution level of PAHs in the HZB seawater was higher than that in the OBA seawater, but the opposite result was found in the sediments. Moreover, n-ary sumation (PAHs) exhibited high temporal variability in the HZB seawater (rainy season > dry season), whereas n-ary sumation (PAHs) in the sediments showed no significant difference between seasons. The molecular diagnostic ratio method was used to identify pollution sources and showed that the PAHs in seawater came from different pollution sources (fuel combustion and petroleum), whereas the PAHs in the sediments originated from coincident sources (mixed combustion). Correlation analysis revealed that temperature was positively related to n-ary sumation (PAHs), whereas salinity was negatively related to seawater n-ary sumation (PAHs) values. Ecological risk assessment demonstrated that the potential for adverse ecological effects was low to moderate in seawater but moderate to high in the sediments.

Automated summary

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as persistent organic pollutants are widely present and accumulate in multimedia environments. The study investigated the pollution characteristics, spatiotemporal distribution, potential sources, influencing factors, and ecological risks of 16 PAHs in the water-sediment system of the Hangzhou Bay and outer bay area. The total concentrations showed variations between seawater and sediments, with higher levels found in the HZB seawater and lower levels in the OBA seawater.