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

OLIVA, ANA LAURA; QUINTAS, PAMELA.; LA COLLA, NOELIA; ARIAS, ANDRÉS HUGO; MARCOVECCHIO, J.H.

ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2015

0090-4341

Abstract Thirty-four surface sediment samples were collected from Bahía Blanca Estuary, Argentina to evaluate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination and ecotoxicity risk, applying Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs) and toxic equivalent factors. Total concentrations of 17 parent PAHs, including the 16 EPA priority PAHs, were measured using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GS/MS) and their levels ranged from 19.7 to 30,054.5 ng/g dry weight. The highest values were found near the urban/industrial core decreasing as the distance from that site increased. Molecular ratios determined mixed sources of PAHs with a slight imposition of pyrolitic over the petrogenic inputs. The ecotoxicological evaluation, based on the SQGs model, showed that some of the individual PAHs were in excess of the effects range low (ERL) and the effects range median?s threshold (ERM); then, predicted occasional (ERL) and frequent (ERM) adverse effects over the surrounding biota at the area of study. The total PAH levels were expressed as Benzo-a-pyrene toxic equivalent factor (TEQ BaP) and compared with literature data.