Assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface sediments of the coast of Pars special economic energy zone (Assaluyeh port)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, Babol Noshirvani University of Technology, Babol, Iran

Abstract

Introduction:
During the last years, oil and gas exploration, extraction and refinery activities caused a lot of damage to the sensitive environment of the Persian Gulf. In the current study, the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone in the northern Persian Gulf was investigated, where oil and gas explorations, extractions, refineries and export infrastructures are concentrated. Each year, large amounts of petroleum-related pollutants discharge into the Persian Gulf in this region. In this research, the spatial distribution and the origin of oil-associated hazardous pollutants i.e., Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Assaluyeh Port were investigated.
Material and methods:
Fifteen samples of the surface sediment of the study area were collected in March 2016, using the Van Veen Grab sampler in five half lines perpendicular to the coast in phases one to five of the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone. Samples were packed in aluminum foils and transferred to the laboratory. Using freeze-drying process, the water was removed from the samples. Pollutants tend to accumulate in fine sediment particles due to the high specific surface area of these particles, and therefore, fine-grained particles (≥63 μm) were separated by physical screening. Finally, 16 compounds of PAHs, which are known as the toxic compounds by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), were analyzed with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Total concentrations of the compounds were measured and their spatial distribution was illustrated using ArcGIS software. The origin of the observed Aromatic Hydrocarbons was also estimated using some indices.
Results and discussion:
Total concentrations of the 16 compounds ranged from 46.6 to 84.7 ng/g dry weight in the sampling stations. The source of compounds was identified using certain petrogenic multiple indices. Furthermore, the environmental risk of the presence of these compounds was estimated using the sediment quality guidelines of the state of Florid. It was shown that except for Naphthalene and Acenaphthene, concentration levels of other PAHs were lower than the threshold level, which is the concentration that destructive biological effects in benthic communities is rarely expected.
Conclusion:
Total concentrations of 16 PAH compounds in the study area showed that the concentration of no compound exceeded the concentration of Effects Range, so it can be concluded that the possibility of harmful effects on benthos communities and other organisms in the food chain and also humans at the top of the chain is low. Considering the high rates of sedimentation and erosion and also the fossil origin of the pollutants, it seems that contaminations are continuously being buried under the new layers of sediment in the study area. Therefore, the continuing source of pollution could not cause serious contamination in the surface sediment of the region.

Keywords

References

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  45. Azimi Yancheshmeh R., Riyahi Bakhtiari, A. and Mortazavi, S., 2015. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments from the southern shores of the Caspian Sea, Anzali city: toxicity assessment and source identification. Journal of Water and Wastewater. 4(1394), 41-50.
  46. Baumard, P., Budzinski, H., Michon, Q., Garrigues, P., Burgeot T. and Bellocq, J., 1998. Origin and bioavailability of PAHs in the Mediterranean Sea from mussel and sediment records. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 47(1), 77-90.
  47. Benlahcen, K.T., Chaoui, A., Budzinski, H., Bellocq, J. and Garrigues, P., 1997. Distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in some Mediterranean coastal sediments. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 34(5), 298-305.
  48. Blumer, M. and Youngblood, W.W., 1975. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils and recent sediments. Science. 188, 53–55.
  49. Boulobassi, I. and Saliot, A., 1993. Dissolved, particulate and sedimentary naturally derived polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a coastal environment: Geochemical significance. Marine Chemistry. 42, 127–143.
  50. Benlahcen, K.T., Chaoui, A., Budzinski, H., Bellocq, J. and Garrigues, P., 1997. Distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in some Mediterranean coastal sediments. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 34, 298–305.
  51. Burton, J.G.A., 2002. Sediment quality criteria in use around the world. Journal of Limnology. 3(2), 65-76.
  52. Budzinski, H., Jones, I., Bellocq, J., Pierard, C. and Garrigues, P., 1997. Evaluation of sediment contamination by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Gironde estuary. Marine Chemistry. 58, 85–97.
  53. Commendatore, M.G., Esteves, J.L. and Colombo, J.C., 2000. Hydrocarbons in coastal sediments of Patagonia, Argentina: Levels and probable sources. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 40(11), 989-998.
  54. Cripps, G.C., 1993. Hydrocarbons in the Antarctic Marine Environment: Monitoring and Background. International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry 55(1-4), 3-13.
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  56. Hong, H., Xu, L., Zhang, L., Chen, J.C.A., Wong, Y.S. and Wan, T.S.M., 1995. Environmental fate and chemistry of organic pollutants in the sediment of Xiamen and Victoria Harbours, Marine Pollution Bulletin, 31(12), 229-236
  57. Gui-Peng, Y., 2000. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the sediments of the South China Sea. Environ. Pollut. 108, 163–171.
  58. Keshavarzifard, M., Moore, F. Keshavarzi, B. and Sharifi, R., 2018. Distribution, source apportionment and health risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in intertidal sediment of Asaluyeh, Persian Gulf, Environmental Geochemistry and Health. 40(2), 721–735.
  59. Laflamme, R.E. and Hites, R.A., 1979. Tetra- and pentacyclic, naturally-occurring, aromatic hydrocarbons in recent sediments. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. 43(10), 1687–1691.
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  61. Leite, N.F., Peralta Zamora, P. and Grassi, M.T., 2011. Distribution and origin of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments from an urban river basin at the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba, Brazil. Journal of Environmental Sciences. 23(6), 904-911.
  62. Long, E.R., Macdonald, D.D., Smith, S.L. and Calder, F.D., 1995. Incidence of adverse biological effects within ranges of chemical concentrations in marine and estuarine sediments. Journal of Environmental Management. 19(1), 81-97.
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  66. McCready, S., Birch, G.F. and Long, E.R., 2006. Metallic and organic contaminants in sediments of Sydney Harbour, Australia and vicinity-A chemical dataset for evaluating sediment quality guidelines. Journal of Environment International. 32(4), 455-465.
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  69. Notar, M., Leskov-Sek, H. and Faganel, J., 2001. Composition, distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments of the Gulf of Trieste, Northern Adriatic Sea. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 42(1), 36-44.
  70. Ranjbar Jafarabadi, A., Riyahi Bakhtiari, A. and Shadmehri Toosi, A., 2017. Comprehensive and comparative ecotoxicological and human risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in reef surface sediments and coastal seawaters of Iranian Coral Islands, Persian Gulf. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. 145, 640-652.
  71. Rostami, S., Abessi, O. and Amini-Rad, H., 2019. Assessment of the toxicity, origin, biodegradation and weathering extent of petroleum hydrocarbons in surface sediments of Pars Special Economic Energy Zone, Persian Gulf. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 138: 302-311.
  72. Saliot, A., 1981. Natural hydrocarbons in sea water. In: Duursma, E.K., Dawson, R. (Eds.), Marine Organic Chemistry. Evolution, Composition, Interactions and Chemistry of Organic Matter in Seawater. Elsevier Oceanography Series, Amsterdam, pp. 327–374.
  73. Sicre, M.A., Marty, J.C., Saliot, A., Aparicio, X., Grimalt, J. and Albaiges, J., 1987. Aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons in different sized aerosols over the Mediterranean sea: occurence and origin. Atmospheric Environment. 21 (10), 2247–2259.
  74. Saeedi, M., Abessi, O. and Jamshidi, A., 2010. Assessment of hydrocarbons and heavy metals contamination of surface sediments of southern Caspian using developed indices. Journal of Environmental studies. 36 (1), 21-38.
  75. Soclo, H.H., Garrigues, P.H. and Ewald, M., 2000. Origin of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in coastal marine sediments: case studies in Cotonou (Benin) and Aquitaine (France) areas. Journal of Marine Pollution Bulletin. 40(5), 387–396.
  76. Sporstol, S., Gjos, N., Lichtenhalter, R.G., Gustavsen, K.O., Urdal, K., Oreld, F. and Skei, J., 1983. Source identification of aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments using GC/MS. Environmental Science and Technology 17(5). 282–286.
  77. Steinhauer, M.S. and Boehm, P.D., 1992. The composition and distribution of saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons in nearshore sediments, river sediments, and coastal peat of the Alaskan Beaufort Sea: Implications for detecting anthropogenic hydrocarbon inputs. Marine Environmental Research. 33(4), 223–253.
  78. Tolosa, I., Mesa-Albernas, M. and Alonso-Hernandez, C.M., 2009. Inputs and Sources of Hydrocarbons in Sediments from Cienfuegos Bay, Cuba. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 58(11), 1624-1634.
  79. Wakeham, S.G., Schaffner, C. and Giger, W., 1980. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Recent lake sediments: II. Compounds derived from biogenic precursors during early diagenesis. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 44(3), 415–429.
  80. Wang, Z., Fingas, M. and Sergy, G., 2001. Study of 22-year-old Arrow oil samples using biomarker compounds by GC/MS. Environmental Science & Technology. 28(9), 1733-1746.
  81. Waseda, A. and Nishita, H., 1998. Geochemical characteristics of terrigenous- and marine-sourced oils in Hokkaido, Japan. Organic Geochemistry. 28(1), 27-41.
  82. Yim, U.H., Hong, S.H. and Shim, W.J., 2007. Distribution and characteristics of PAHs in sediments from the marine environment of Korea. Chemosphere. 68, 85–92.
  83. Yunker, M.B., Macdonald, R.W., Vingarzan, R., Mitchell, R.H., Goyette, D. and Sylvestre, S., 2002. PAHs in the Fraser River basin: a critical appraisal of PAH ratios as indicators of PAH source and composition. Organic Geochemistry. 33(4), 489–515.
  84. .
Environmental Sciences
Volume 16, Issue 3
October 2018
Pages 217-232

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