The characteristics and distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sea sediments in Kitakyushu area.

Abstract

Fourteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in sea and seashore sediments in the Kitakyushu district were determined by GC-MS. The similarity and characteristics among the sea areas or sampling sites were defined by the multivariate analysis of PAH composition. The concentration of total PAH (T·PAH) in the sediments of Dokai Bay, Kanmon Strait, Sea of Suo and the seashore along Sea of Suo were 5.57-36.6, 6.00, 0.522-1.80 and 0.083-0.796 μg/g·dry weight, respectively. Fourteen PAH were detected at every sites and the level of benzo [b] fluoranthene was the highest of all PAH at every sites except a site of the seashore. The level of benzo [a] pyrene+benzo [e] pyrene concentration in the 3 sea areas was higher than that in Tokyo Bay. The fact would be characteristic of the industrial city which had developed with coal and petroleum. In the mouth of Dokai Bay, the value of T·PAH was the highest. This cause was assumed to be an inflow of coke oven effluent by the cluster analysis. The level of T·PAH concentration in the sea of Suo was the lowest. The ratio of lower molecular weight (178-228) PAH in the northeastern site were relatively higher than that of the other site. The value of T·PAH in the seashore was lower than that in the sea of Suo. By considering these characteristics, it would be assumed that the influence from Kitakyushu side was less than that from the other sides in this sea area. This was confirmed by the principal component analysis. The interpretation of the results obtained from the multivariate analysis of PAH patterns made it possible to define the characteristics of PAH accumulated in the sea sediments.