A model of the fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Saguenay Fjord, Canada

A comprehensive mass balance model is described that simulates the fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Saguenay Fjord in eastern Quebec, Canada. The receiving environment is segmented into five compartments that are connected by upstream and downstream flows. Each segment consists of a layer of surficial sediment and a water column exposed to the atmosphere. The steady state model provides a method by which defined loadings of PAHs from the atmosphere and industrial sources are combined with other input parameters such as advective flow and atmospheric deposition rates to deduce quantities, concentrations, and transport and transformation rates. Results are presented for naphthalene, phenanthrene, and benzo[a]pyrene. The overall environmental pathways and simulation results are discussed. The simulated concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene in the sediment ranged from 100 to 315 ng/g, which are in good agreement with reported measurements.