Concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and histological changes in Anomalocardia brasiliana and Crassostrea rhizophorae from Pernambuco, Brazil after the 2019 oil spill

Mar Pollut Bull. 2023 Jul:192:115066. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115066. Epub 2023 May 24.

Abstract

The present study aimed to analyze the concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in populations of the shellfish Anomalocardia brasiliana and oysters Crassostrea rhizophorae three years after the 2019 oil spill, as well as evaluate histopathological changes on the gill tissues of the bivalves. Individuals of both species were sampled at points along the northern and southern coast of Pernambuco, Brazil. The permanence of oil residues was confirmed, evidenced by the total concentration of PAHs in the shellfish from the northern coast, which was roughly four times higher than the southern one. Among the PAHs analyzed, the low molecular weight compounds naphthalene and anthracene were the main contributors to the total concentration. Histological changes in the gills of the bivalves, were more severe in the specimens sampled on the north coast indicating alterations in the bivalve's health, mainly on the state's northern coast.

Keywords: Bivalve; Contamination; Histopathology; Tropical South Atlantic.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brazil
  • Crassostrea*
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Humans
  • Petroleum Pollution* / analysis
  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons* / analysis
  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons* / toxicity
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical* / toxicity

Substances

  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical