Acta Adriatica, Vol. 63 No. 2, 2022.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.32582/aa.63.2.1
Assessment of environmental risk related to the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in the sediments along the eastern Adriatic coast
Jelena Mandić
orcid.org/0000-0001-9106-2335
; Laboratory of Chemical Oceanography and Sedimentology, Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Setaliste I. Mestrovica 63, 21000 Split, Croatia
Jere Veža
orcid.org/0000-0002-9853-7994
; Laboratory of Chemical Oceanography and Sedimentology, Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Setaliste I. Mestrovica 63, 21000 Split, Croatia
Grozdan Kušpilić
orcid.org/0000-0002-9773-7628
; Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Šetalište Ivana Meštrovića 63, 21000 Split, Croatia
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were investigated in the sediments at 24 locations in
the coastal area of Adriatic Sea. Total PAH concentrations ranged from 14,98 to 26145,62 µg kg-1,
with the highest levels determined in the sediments of Šibenik Bay and the lowest in the sediment
near Island of Pag. Unsubstituted PAH were prevailing PAH group in the sediments from the Šibenik
Bay and in the Coastal area, while methyl-substituted PAH were dominant group in the sediments of
the Kaštela Bay. In order to estimate the possible toxicological significance of PAH concentrations,
Sediment Quality Assessment was done according to three different sets of sediment quality
guidelines. A high environmental risk was calculated for each station in Šibenik Bay; for the station
in vicinity of the Industrial port of Split and for the two stations in Coastal zone. Low environmental
risk was determined in less urbanised areas such as Island of Pag. Sediment extracts were further
analysed for acute toxicity by measurements of decrease in bioluminescence upon exposure to
sediment extracts. Obtained results show disagreement between sediment toxicity predicted upon
PAH levels in sediment and experimentally obtained sediment toxicity. Sediment extracts in which
low PAH levels were measured showed high acute toxicity indicating that concentrations of PAH
alone are a poor indicator of sediment toxicity. Correlation analysis between concentrations of
specific PAH compounds and toxicity revealed the strongest association between acute sediment
toxicity and sulphur-containing PAH suggesting the S-PAH should be considered in sediment toxicity
assessment.
Keywords
PAH; sediment; Adriatic Sea; sediment quality assessment; bioassay; marine pollution
Hrčak ID:
289594
URI
Publication date:
30.12.2022.
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