Seasonal and body size-dependent variability in the bioaccumulation of PAHs and their alkyl homologues in pearl oysters in the central Arabian Gulf

Yousria Soliman; Terry L Wade; Jose L Sericano; Ibrahim Al Ansari

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114009

Seasonal and body size-dependent variability in the bioaccumulation of PAHs and their alkyl homologues in pearl oysters in the central Arabian Gulf

Mar Pollut Bull. 2022 Oct:183:114009. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114009. Epub 2022 Aug 30.

Authors

Yousria Soliman¹, Terry L Wade², Jose L Sericano², Ibrahim Al Ansari³

Affiliations

¹ Environmental Science Program, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, P.O box 2713, Doha, Qatar. Electronic address: Yousra@qu.edu.qa.
² Geochemical and Environmental Research Group, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States of America.
³ Environmental Studies Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.

PMID: 36055081
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114009

Abstract

Spatiotemporal concentration patterns for 19 parents and their alkyl homologues were measured in Pinctada radiata from 7 locations in the central Arabian Gulf around Qatar in the winter, spring and summer (2014-2015). The concentrations of PAHs ranged from 20 to 2240 (262 ± 38.0 ng·g^-1 dw) with the highest occurrence in the Doha harbor (738.4 ± 197.3 ng·g^-1 dw) and the lowest in the west coast of Qatar (48.3 ± 5.8 ng·g^-1 dw). Residual PAHs in the oysters were about two times higher in winter than in spring and summer (P < 0.05). PAHs in oysters are dominated by 2 and 3 rings PAHs and their alkyls. Alkylated PAHs (APAHs) comprised >55 % of the ΣPAHs. Statistically significant differences in PAHs profiles among oysters were due in part to differences in lipid contents and shell biometrics. Principal component analysis (PCA) and diagnostic ratios for sources identifications suggested that PAHs accumulations in oysters were due to petrogenic and fuel combustion.

Keywords: Arabian Gulf; Bioaccumulation; Pearl oyster (Pinctada radiata); Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); Seasonality.

MeSH terms

Animals
Bioaccumulation
Body Size
China
Environmental Monitoring
Geologic Sediments / analysis
Lipids
Ostreidae*
Pinctada*
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons* / analysis
Seasons
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis

Substances

Lipids
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Water Pollutants, Chemical