Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments of the White Sea, Russia

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. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd, All rights reserved.