The extent of environmental contamination and sources of polycyclic aromati
c hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds to sediments of the White Sea are evaluated a
nd compared with previously published results for adjacent Arctic Sea areas
. Concentrations of two- to six-ring PAHs of molecular mass 128-278 includi
ng perylene and sediment characteristics are considered in this investigati
on, Mean Sigma PAH concentration was 61 +/- 34 ng/g dw (n = 11) for all sam
ples and 87+/-43 ng/g dw (n = 6) for pelite-rich samples (> 83% pelite), Th
ese concentrations are 23 times lower than were previously reported for the
SE Barents Sea, Concentrations of Sigma PAH and Sigma CPAH in the central
White Sea have increased by a factor of 2-5 over preindustrial background l
evels based on Pb-210 age-dating of one sediment core. Using principal comp
onent analysis (PCA), two common factors explained 87.5% of the total varia
nce for the White Sea data. Factor 1 is associated with high-temperature co
mbustion processes and is related to emissions from a local aluminium smelt
er. Factor 2 is associated mainly with the introduction of petrogenic PAH c
ompounds and perylene into Dvina Bay via the Severnaya Dvina River. A compa
rison of the White Sea and SE Barents Sea data indicates that similarities
exist in the composition of parent PAH compounds. However, based on a compa
rative analysis of parent PAH ratios and relative contents of alkyl-substit
uted homologues, a common atmospheric source of anthropogenic pollutants ca
n be ruled out. Further investigations are needed to determine whether sedi
mentary PAH signatures in areas of the Barents Sea that are in closer proxi
mity to the White Sea are related to emissions from the aluminium smelter.
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