CONCENTRATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS IN SEAWATER AND SEDIMENT FROM MIXED-AQUICULTURE PONDS IN TAIZHOU, CHINA.

The concentrations of 15 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their corresponding sources were quantified in seawater and sediment from offshore mixed-aqua- culture ponds in Taizhou, China. Their accumulation factors in the sediment were also analyzed. The results revealed that the total concentrations of the 15 PAHs in seawater and sediment ranged from 99.85±4.66 ng/L to 340.93±20.35 ng/L and 3 1.90±1.45 ng/g to 123.6 1±5.99 ng/g, respectively. In addition, principal component analysis (PCA) of the PAHs indicated that diesel vehicles, coal combustion, gasoline vehicles and biological processes under reducing conditions were the principal sources of PAHs in seawater and sediment of the mixed-aquaculture ponds. Furthermore, accumulation indices of the 15 PAHs in sediment ranged between 83.0-1381.0. Finally, benzo(g,h,i)perylene and indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene enrichment factors were greater than 1000, while those for naphthalene and acenaphthene were less than 300. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]