Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Norwegian and Russian Arctic marine sediments: concentrations, geographical distribution and sources

摘要

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are key contaminants of concern under the Arctic Environmental Monitoring Programme (AMAP) due to their carcinogenic potential. The concentration of the different PAH components may be connected to the geochemical background of the sediments, including leakage and erosion of fossil carbon, as well as epigenetic processes such as decaying peat. In other cases there is a human influence connected to petroleum spills or combustion of fossil fuel or other human activities. The overall goal of this study was to identify and analyze existing comparable datasets on PAHs From Norwegian and Russian arctic shelves, and use the concentration and composition of PAH components in the selected datasets to assess baseline concentration of PAH, geographical anomalies and sources and routes of transport, as well as the human impact. PAHs in 330 samples of surface sediment from the Barents and Kara Sea shelves, collected during the period 1991-1998, have been selected for the study.