Environ. Sci. Technol. 1997, 31, 682-688
Spatial, Vertical Distribution and Budget of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Western Mediterranean Seawater JORDI DACHS, JOSEP M. BAYONA,* C R I S T O P H E R A O U X , A N D J O A N A L B A I G EÄ S Environmental Chemistry Department, C.I.D.-C.S.I.C., Jordi Girona 18, E-08034, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in the suspended particulate matter (SPM) (21 surface and 6 vertical profiles) and in the dissolved phase (DP) (7 sampling sites) of the western Mediterranean seawater. Terrigenous inputs were recognized by the co-occurrence of perylene (SPM) and trimethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrochrysenes (SPM and DP) collected at the major river plumes. The PAH patterns in the SPM (>0.7 µm) and DP (5% of total PAHs) denoting a naturally derived origin (16). Sediments from the Ebro prodelta also exhibited a high concentration of perylene, which is consistent with a predepositional formation in its estuary and transport to prodeltaic sediments (4). Furthermore, tetrahydrochrysenes (HyCr) exhibited higher concentrations in both estuaries (>20 pg L-1) than in open sea (
