Measuring bioavailable PAHs in estuarine water using semipermeable membrane devices with performance reference...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Marine Science
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are persistent organic pollutants.
• Estuarine environments are susceptible to PAH contamination.
• Accurate measurement of bioavailable PAHs is crucial for risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify bioavailable polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in Kaohsiung Harbor's estuarine water.
• To compare PAH levels in surface and bottom water samples.
• To investigate factors influencing PAH sampling rates.

Main Methods:

• Utilized XAD-2 resin and semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) for PAH extraction.
• Calibrated devices using performance reference compounds (PRCs).
• Employed cubic polynomial regressions to estimate in situ sampling rates (Rs).

Main Results:

• Sum of PAH concentrations: 6.63 ng/L (surface, XAD-2), 9.58 ng/L (bottom, XAD-2).
• Sum of dissolved PAH concentrations: 5.87 ng/L (surface, SPMD), 9.15 ng/L (bottom, SPMD).
• Higher PAH variation observed in surface water; different sources indicated for surface and bottom water PAHs.

Conclusions:

• Turbulence enhanced sampling rates in surface waters, while diffusion limited them in bottom waters.
• PAH concentrations and dynamics differed significantly between surface and bottom estuarine waters.
• Estuarine PAHs in Kaohsiung Harbor originated from distinct sources depending on water depth.