Integration of chemical and biological methods: A case study of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons pollution monitoring in Shandong Peninsula, China

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as persistent toxic substances (PTS), have been widely monitored in coastal environment, including seawater and sediment. However, scientific monitoring methods, like ecological risk assessment and integrated biomarker response, still need massive researches to verify their availabilities. This study was performed in March, May, August and October of 2018 at eight sites, Yellow River estuary (S1), Guangli Port (S2), Xiaying (S3), Laizhou (S4), Inner Bay (S5), Outer Bay (S6), Hongdao (S7) and Hongshiya (S8) of Shandong Peninsula, China. The contents of 16 priority PAHs in local seawater and sediment were determined, by which ecological risk assessment risk quotient (RQ) for seawater and sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) were calculated to characterize the PAHs pollution. Meanwhile, multiple biomarkers in the digestive gland of clam Ruditapes philippinarum were measured to represent different biological endpoints, including ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD), glutathione S-transferase (GST), sulfotransferase (SULT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and lipid peroxidation (LPO), by which integrated biomarker response (IBR) was calculated to provide a comprehensive assessment of environmental quality. Taken together, these results revealed the heaviest pollution at S2 as both PAHs concentrations and biomarkers responses reflected, and supported the integrated biomarker response as a useful tool for marine environmental monitoring, through its integration with SQGs. (c) 2021 The Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Automated summary

This study monitored polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in seawater and sediment at eight sites in Shandong Peninsula, China and assessed their ecological risks and biological effects. The results showed that S2 site had the highest pollution, as indicated by both PAHs concentrations and biomarker responses. The integrated biomarker response was found to be a useful tool for marine environmental monitoring when combined with sediment quality guidelines.