Anthropogenic activities lead to successive release of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) into the intertidal environment, but how and to what extent anthropogenic factors influence PAHs distribution in the intertidal environment remains largely unknown. Here we measured concentrations of the USEPA priority PAHs in sediments collected from fourteen intertidal zones over 4500 km of Chinese coastlines, across all eleven coastal provinces and municipalities in China. The total concentrations of PAHs ranged from 2.30 to 1030 ng/g (mean: 110 ng/g). Significant positive correlations were found between total organic carbon (TOC) contents and individual PAHs concentrations in sediment. The concentrations of TOC-normalized high molecule weight (HMW) PAHs were positively correlated with the TOC contents, whereas this pattern was not found for the concentrations of TOC-normalized low molecule weight (LMW) PAHs. Moreover, in contrast to the control of quantity of population and economy on normalized HMW PAHs, urbanization plays a major role on TOC-normalized LMW PAHs. Meanwhile, anthropogenic activities can indirectly influence TOC-normalized PAHs concentrations by affecting TOC. Taken together, our exploration of the direct and indirect factors affecting PAHs profiles provides continental – scale evidence that anthropogenic activities exert key and differential impacts on distribution and deposition of PAHs in intertidal sediments, and pollution status and profile of PAHs can be used to index regional status of industrialization and urbanization.

Human impacts on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon distribution in Chinese intertidal zones

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

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