title: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface sediments from the Bizerte Lagoon, Tunisia: levels, sources, and toxicological significance.
abstract: To assess the status of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination in sediments from the Bizerte Lagoon (northern Tunisia), 18 surface sediment samples were collected in March 2011 and analyzed for 14 US Environmental Protection Agency priority PAHs by high-performance liquid chromatography. The total concentrations of the 14 PAHs (ΣPAHs) ranged from 16.9 to 394.1 ng g(-1) dry weight (dw) with a mean concentration of 85.5 ng g(-1) dw. Compared with other lagoons, coasts, and bays in the world, the concentrations of PAHs in surface sediments of the Bizerte Lagoon are low to moderate. The PAHs' composition pattern was dominated by the presence of four-ring PAHs (45.8 %) followed by five-ring (26.8 %) and three-ring PAHs (12.7 %). The PAH source analysis suggested that the main origin of PAHs in the sediments of the lagoon was mainly from pyrolytic sources. According to the numerical effect-based sediment quality guidelines of the USA, the levels of PAHs in the Bizerte Lagoon should not exert adverse biological effects. The total benzo[a]pyrene toxicity equivalent values calculated for the samples varied from 3.1 to 53.7 ng g(-1) dw with an average of 10.6 ng g(-1) dw.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental Analytical Chemistry (05/UR/12-03), University of Carthage, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, 7021 Zarzouna, Bizerte, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Badreddine
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Barhoumi
authors.forename: Karyn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: LeMenach
authors.forename: Marie-Hélène
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Devier
authors.forename: Walid
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ben Ameur
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Etcheber
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Budzinski
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cachot
authors.forename: Mohamed Ridha
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Driss
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D014416:Tunisia; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical