%0 Journal Article
%T Occurrence and Distribution of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Water and Sediment Collected along the Harbour Line, Mumbai, India
%A V. Dhananjayan
%A S. Muralidharan
%A Vinny R. Peter
%J International Journal of Oceanography
%D 2012
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2012/403615
%X This study investigated the occurrence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water and sediment samples collected along the harbour line, Mumbai, India. The ¡ÆPAHs quantified in water and sediment samples were ranged from 8.66£¿ng/L to 46.74£¿ng/L and from 2608£¿ng/g to 134134£¿ng/g dry wt., respectively. Significantly high concentration of ¡ÆPAHs was found in water samples of Sewri and sediment samples of Mahul ( ). PAH concentrations detected in the present study were several folds higher than the existing sediment quality criteria suggested by various statutory agencies. The PAH composition patterns in water and sediments suggest the dominance of high molecular weight compounds and indicate important pyrolytic and petrogenic sources. The occurrence of PAHs in the marine environment has attracted the attention of the scientific community as these compounds are frequently detected in seawater and sediments at increasing levels and can have adverse health effects on marine organisms and humans. PAH concentrations detected at Sewri-Mahul site were sufficiently high to pose a risk to marine organisms if they are exposed continuously to this concentration. Hence, continuous monitoring of the ecosystem is highly warranted. 1. Introduction All over the world over there have been imminent problems of pollution in many of the coastal regions resulting in significant damage to marine ecosystems. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of over 100 different chemicals that are formed during the incomplete burning of coal, oil and gas, garbage, and other organic substances [1, 2]. These contaminants generate considerable interest because some of them are highly carcinogenic in laboratory animals and have been implicated in breast, lung, and colon cancers in humans [3¨C5]. Accordingly, they are included in the US EPA and the EU priority pollutants list. PAHs can reach surface waters and sediment in different ways, including atmospheric deposition, urban run-off, municipal and industrial effluents, and oil spillage or leakage [6, 7]. Owing to their low aqueous solubility and strong hydrophobic nature, these contaminants tend to associate with particulate material in the aquatic environment, with the underlying sediments as their ultimate sink [8]. Recent efforts by the EPA have been aimed at establishing sediment quality criteria in an effort to further reduce human exposure to PAH, especially via ingestion of shellfish. Sediments may be a significant source of PAH to the overlying water column particularly in areas where historical PAH input to the
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijocean/2012/403615/