Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) burden of mussels (Mytilus sp.) in different marine environments in relation with sediment PAH contamination, and bioavailability

Sediments and mussels (Mytilus edulis, Mytilus galloprovincialis) were sampled in different European coastal environments (Germany, France, Spain) and analysed for their polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) content by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Bioaccumulation factors of individual compounds from the sediment were calculated and discussed according to the compound solubility. The mussels showed different accumulation patterns according to the pollution source they were exposed to (dissolved fraction of PAHs, particulate fraction, petroleum present in the water column). The exposure source also depends on the geographical location of the mussels. In the Mediterranean Sea, the bivalves were mainly exposed to the dissolved fraction of PAHs, while in the Baltic Sea and in the Atlantic Ocean, the PAHs associated to the particles were significant sources. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.