Distribution, sources and potential ecotoxicological risk of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in surface sediments from Bahía Blanca estuary, Argentina.

ANA LAURA OLIVA; PAMELA QUINTAS; NOELIA LA COLLA; ANDRES ARIAS; JORGE MARCOVECCHIO

ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2015

0090-4341

Thirty four surface sediment samples were collected from the Bahía Blanca Estuary, Argentina to evaluate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) occurrence contamination and ecotoxicity risk, applying to sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) and toxic equivalent factors. Total concentrations of 17 PAHs, including the 16 EPA priority PAHs, were measured using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GS/MS) and their levels ranged from 19.7 to 30054.5 ng/g dry weight. The higher values were found close to the urban/industrial center, decreasing as the distance from this site increase. Molecular ratios determined mixed sources with a slight over imposition of pyrolitic inputs over the petrogenic ones inputs. According to the United States sediment quality guidelines, the levels of PAHs at the studied sites alternatively exceeded the effects range low (ERL) and the effects range median (ERM), indicating that adverse toxicological effects caused by PAHs would occasionally and frequently occur at the area. The values of total PAHs were expressed as Benzo-a-pyrene toxic equivalent factor (BaP TEQ) and compared with literature data.