Bioaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in wild marine fish from the coastal waters of the northern South China Sea: Risk assessment for human health

Ziling Yu; Qin Lin; Yangguang Gu; Feiyan Du; Xuehui Wang; Fengqiong Shi; Changliang Ke; Mingdeng Xiang; Yunjiang Yu

doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.05.065

Bioaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in wild marine fish from the coastal waters of the northern South China Sea: Risk assessment for human health

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2019 Sep 30:180:742-748. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.05.065. Epub 2019 May 29.

Authors

Ziling Yu¹, Qin Lin², Yangguang Gu³, Feiyan Du³, Xuehui Wang³, Fengqiong Shi³, Changliang Ke³, Mingdeng Xiang⁴, Yunjiang Yu⁴

Affiliations

¹ Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fishery Ecology and Environment, Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, 510300, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China.
² Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fishery Ecology and Environment, Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, 510300, China. Electronic address: fishenvironment@163.com.
³ Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fishery Ecology and Environment, Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, 510300, China.
⁴ State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China.

PMID: 31152988
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.05.065

Abstract

Little data are available on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in marine fish associated with oil and gas activities from the South China Sea (SCS). Twenty-one wild marine fish species from the northern South China Sea were collected for analysis of the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The total concentration of the PAHs (∑₁₆PAHs) ranged from 199 to 606 ng·g^-1 d.w., indicating moderate contamination. PAHs in fish species found in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) were significantly higher than those from the Yachen (YC) gas fields (p < 0.05). Planktivorous fish exhibited significantly higher concentrations of PAHs than carnivorous and omnivorous fish (p < 0.05). The PAHs were dominated by three ring compounds. Source identification analyses indicated that the PAH pollution originated from petroleum inputs. The cancer and non-cancer risk assessments concluded that the probable risk associated with the intake of PAHs via fish consumption is minimal. Long-term monitoring is necessary to determine the ecological impacts of PAHs associated with oil and gas activities.

Keywords: Bioaccumulation; Human health; Marine fish; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); Source identification.

MeSH terms

Animals
China
Dietary Exposure / analysis*
Fishes / metabolism*
Humans
Petroleum / analysis
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / analysis
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / metabolism*
Risk Assessment
Seafood / analysis*
Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis
Water Pollutants, Chemical / metabolism*

Substances

Petroleum
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Water Pollutants, Chemical