Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in rock oysters: a baseline study

Coral-rock oysters were collected in September 1982 from six locations in the area of Mermaid Sound in North-Western Australia. Analysis was carried out by digestion of the samples, followed by solvent extraction and analysis of the extracts using HPLC-UVF and GC-MS. The levels of two- and three-ring aromatics ranged from very low for the site outside Mermaid Sound and for one site within the Sound, to low for the four other sites within the Sound. The PAH values at the latter four sites are attributed to occasional petroleum release episodes related to small boat activities and large-scale salt and iron ore shipping and general cargo activities of the Port of Dampier. The levels of PAHs with four or more rings were found to be low or very low at all sites; in fact, in most cases values measured for specific PAHs were below the limits of detection of even the very sensitive methods used in this study. Samples from sites within Mermaid Sound closest to the town and port of Dampier showed noticeably higher levels than those from outside; the present study does not allow the source of the PAHs to be determined. It is interesting to note, however, that the parent PAHs appear to form a greater proportion of the total PAH assemblage in these cases, indicating contributions from material which has been subjected to high temperature processing prior to release into the Sound.