title: Ecodynamics of PAHs at a peri-urban site of the French Mediterranean Sea.
abstract: The PAH contamination level and biochemical composition of sinking particles and surficial sediments (0-0.5 cm layer) were assessed at a rural coastal site in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. Surficial sediment contamination (≈20 ng g(-1)) was considerably lower than at other Mediterranean sites, yet particles collected in sediment traps had 6-8 times more PAH. Contaminated particles were mostly marine in origin. Temporal variation of contamination levels correlated with organic content of the particles, but some of the observed variability could be attributed to seasonal changes in pyrolytic PAH production. Sinking organic particles were potentially as readily digestible as surficial sediments for prospective consumers however, transfer of PAHs along the benthic food chain is probably enhanced because of the particles' higher nutritional value.
authors.affiliation: CNRS, UMR 8222, LECOB, Observatoire Océanologique, F-66651 Banyuls/mer, France. charles@obs-banyuls.fr
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Charles
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nozais
authors.forename: Audrey M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pruski
authors.forename: Solveig
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bourgeois
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Méjanelle
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vétion
authors.forename: Béatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rivière
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coston-Guarini
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D002947:Cities; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D020387:Food Chain; D005602:France; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D008956:Models, Chemical; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D012621:Seasons; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D005227:Fatty Acids; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical