Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in mangrove clam (Geliona erosa) from Guimaras, Philippines five years after oil spill

摘要

The study intends to determine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, by-products of fossilfuel burning) levels in mangrove clam (Geliona erosa) five years after the sinking of Motor Tanker Solar Iin Guimaras Island, Philippines which resulted in oil spill in 2006. Clams and sediment were collectedalong affected coastal barangays of Guimaras and analyzed for sixteen (16) priority PAHs pollutant. Ingeneral, clams contained 41.7-77.8% low molecular (three- and four- ring) aromatics of the total16PAHs. Phenanthrene was the major component measured in clams ranging from 0.6-45.6 ng g-1 withthe presence of benzo(a)pyrene (BAP) (0.2-2.5 ng g-1). Results indicated that oil residues from the 2006incident still persisted in the marine environment. Total 16 PAHs in sediment showed temporal variationand they were mostly higher molecular weight aromatics at a range of 10-489 ng g-1; low molecularweights were at a range of 2.3-30.0 ng g-1. BAP levels in clams were far below the public health level ofconcern (2.71 ± 0.784 μg kg-1) established by NOAA/FDA. In general, mangrove clams were exposed tolower molecular weight PAHs (7.0-63.7 ng g-1) while high molecular weight PAHs (8.9-389 ng g-1) weremore bioavailable to sediments which also showed temporal variation.