Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in 55-120 μm phytoplankton

Frank Paolo Jay B Albarico; Yee Cheng Lim; Chih-Feng Chen; Ming-Huang Wang; Chiu-Wen Chen; Cheng-Di Dong

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115860

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in 55-120 μm phytoplankton

Mar Pollut Bull. 2024 Jan:198:115860. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115860. Epub 2023 Nov 30.

Authors

Frank Paolo Jay B Albarico¹, Yee Cheng Lim², Chih-Feng Chen², Ming-Huang Wang², Chiu-Wen Chen³, Cheng-Di Dong⁴

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City 81157, Taiwan; Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City 81157, Taiwan; College of Fisheries and Allied Sciences, Northern Negros State College of Science and Technology, Sagay City 6122, Philippines.
² Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City 81157, Taiwan.
³ Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City 81157, Taiwan. Electronic address: cwchen@nkust.edu.tw.
⁴ Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City 81157, Taiwan; Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City 81157, Taiwan. Electronic address: cddong@nkust.edu.tw.

PMID: 38039576
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115860

Abstract

A baseline study was undertaken on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in phytoplankton. Plankton samples from six stations (duplicates) in Kaohsiung Harbor (KH), Taiwan along with a phytoplankton control sample afar from the harbor, were collected. We applied size-fractionation to isolate phytoplankton (55-120 μm), followed by sedimentation and centrifugation to remove abiogenic particulates. The phytoplankton was freeze-dried, extracted with acetone: n-hexane (1:1, v/v), and analyzed using GC-MS. ΣPAHs in phytoplankton ranged between 5204 and 28,903 ng/g dry weight (mean: 12,150 ng/g). The ΣPAHs in KH were >7 times than the control site (C1: 3972 ng/g). Cluster analysis showed spatial gradients (northern < southern KH). Accumulated PAHs in phytoplankton were from petrogenic (fishing ports and ships) and pyrogenic (river outflows), dominated by lower-ring PAHs, likely due to their higher bioavailability in the dissolved phase. We present a practical phytoplankton isolation technique for more accurate phytoplankton PAH concentrations with insights into their distribution and sources.

Keywords: Accumulation; Organic pollutant; Plankton; Pre-treatment; Primary trophic level; Size-fractionation.

MeSH terms

Environmental Monitoring
Geologic Sediments / analysis
Phytoplankton
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons* / analysis
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis

Substances

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Water Pollutants, Chemical