Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and antibiotics in oil-contaminated aquaculture areas: Bioaccumulation, influencing factors, and human health risks

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) pollution caused by marine oil spills and antibiotic pollution caused by aquaculture industries were common environmental problems in the Yellow River Estuary, China. But few data are reported on the bioaccumulation and influencing factors of these two types of contaminants in aquaculture simultaneously. This study investigated the occurrence and bioaccumulation of PAHs and antibiotics in aqua-culture areas of the Yellow River Estuary, and explored the factors affecting the bioaccumulation. 3-ring PAHs and fluoroquinolones were dominant contaminants in the study area. The concentrations of PAHs and antibiotics in lipid-rich tissues (fish viscus, shrimp head, and crab ovary) was higher than that in muscle. It indicated that the lipid content was an important factor affecting the bioaccumulation capacity. Physicochemical parameters (Kow and Dlipw) and the concentrations of PAHs or antibiotics also affected the bioaccumulation capacity of them. Meanwhile, biotransformation was a factor affecting the bioaccumulation of PAHs and antibiotics. The biotransformation (pyrene to 1-hydroxypyrene and enrofloxacin to ciprofloxacin) might explain the poor correlation between log bioaccumulation factor and log Kow/log Dlipw in fish. Risk assessment indicated that PAHs in mature aquatic products posed carcinogenic risks to human and enoxacin in sea cucumbers posed health risks to human.

Automated summary

PAH pollution and antibiotic pollution are common environmental problems in the Yellow River Estuary, China. This study investigated the bioaccumulation and influencing factors of PAHs and antibiotics in aquaculture areas of the Yellow River Estuary. The study found that 3-ring PAHs and fluoroquinolones were dominant contaminants in the area. The concentrations of PAHs and antibiotics in lipid-rich tissues were higher than that in muscle, indicating that lipid content is an important factor affecting bioaccumulation.