Organic contaminants in marine environment-Let us not forget the shallow areas

The evaluation of anthropogenic pressures in marine environments commonly involves sediments, water and marine biota. However, the evaluation of the quality of the beach sediment and sediments from shallow areas are scarce compared to sediments from deeper areas in environmental assessment studies. In this study polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and linear alkylbenzenes were assessed in sediments from shallow areas of the Sa tilde o Sebastia tilde o channel, southeastern Brazil. The channel is part of the Marine Protected Area of the Northern Coast of Sa tilde o Paulo State besides holds the largest petroleum terminal in South America further than three sewage outfalls. Despite the concentrations of these contaminants in the sediments were relatively low compared to those found in the sediments from deeper areas of the channel, suggesting low toxicity of the beach sediments, the contamination reflected the pattern of the sediments of the Sa tilde o Sebastia tilde o channel.

Automated summary

The study assessed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and linear alkylbenzenes in sediments from shallow areas of the Sa tilde o Sebastia tilde o channel in southeastern Brazil. Despite relatively low concentrations compared to deeper areas, the contamination reflected the sediment pattern of the channel.