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Levels, sources, and potential ecological risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface seawater and sediments from the northern Liaodong Bay of China were seasonally investigated. Total concentrations of 16 PAHs varied from 145.96 ng/L to 896.58 ng/L in seawater, and from 191.99 ng/g to 624.44 ng/g in sediments. PAH concentrations in seawater differed significantly, whereas those in sediments exhibited a relatively stable pattern across seasons. PAHs with low molecular weight were predominant in seawater, but PAHs with high molecular weight were abundant in sediments. Crop straw and coal combustion were the main PAH pollution sources. The current levels of PAHs in the northern Liaodong Bay are relatively moderate compared with those in other bays and estuaries. Sediment from all sampling sites is characterized by low to medium ecotoxicological risk. No highly negative toxic effect could occur on the organisms and ecosystems in the northern Liaodong Bay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]