Distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments of the East China marginal seas: Significance of the terrestrial input and shelf mud deposition

Qi Shen; Huimin Yu; Yibo Cao; Zhigang Guo; Limin Hu; Lian Duan; Xueshi Sun; Tian Lin

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115920

Distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments of the East China marginal seas: Significance of the terrestrial input and shelf mud deposition

Mar Pollut Bull. 2024 Feb:199:115920. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115920. Epub 2023 Dec 19.

Authors

Qi Shen¹, Huimin Yu², Yibo Cao², Zhigang Guo³, Limin Hu⁴, Lian Duan², Xueshi Sun⁴, Tian Lin⁵

Affiliations

¹ Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Land and Sea Ecological Governance and Systematic Regulation, Shandong Academy for Environmental Planning, Jinan 250101, China.
² Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
³ Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Land and Sea Ecological Governance and Systematic Regulation, Shandong Academy for Environmental Planning, Jinan 250101, China; Institute of Eco-Chongming (IEC), Shanghai, 202162, China. Electronic address: guozgg@fudan.edu.cn.
⁴ College of Marine Geosciences, Key Laboratory of Submarine Geosciences and Prospecting Techniques, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China.
⁵ College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.

PMID: 38113801
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115920

Abstract

To investigate the distribution, sources, influencing factors, and ecological risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in East China Marginal Seas (ECMSs) sediments, we measured the concentrations of 16 PAHs in 104 surface sediment samples collected from the ECMSs in 2014 and 2016. Total PAH concentration (∑PAHs) ranged from 4.49 to 163.66 ng/g dry weight (dry w), with 65.98 ± 33.00 (mean ± SD) ng/g dry w. The highest PAH concentrations and total organic carbon were observed in areas with fine-grained sediments in the Bohai Sea (BS), Yellow Sea (YS), and coastal East China Sea (ECS), indicating the prominent influence of regional hydrodynamics and sediment properties. The dominant PAH congener in BS and YS was BbF, whereas coastal ECS was Phe. The heterogeneity of PAH sources implies that terrestrial PAH input and shelf mud deposition have crucial roles in the source-sink processes of PAHs in a strongly human-influenced marginal sea.

Keywords: Distribution; PAHs; Sources; Strongly human-influenced marginal sea; Surface sediments.

MeSH terms

China
Environmental Monitoring
Geologic Sediments
Humans
Oceans and Seas
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons* / analysis
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis

Substances

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Water Pollutants, Chemical