PAH-biodegradation potential of indigenous microorganisms: evidence from the respiratory activity of surface sediments in the Quanzhou Bay in China

Seven stations were established in the Quanzhou Bay (24.73°-24.96°N, 118.50°-118.70°E) in China on three cruises to determine the concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the numbers of PAH-degrading bacteria in surface sediments. Assessing the biodegradation poten- tial of indigenous microorganisms by measuring the respiratory intensity with the addition of PAHs in sediment samples was also one of the aims of this study. The results show that the total PAH concentrations of the sedimen...     

Evaluation of the relationships between biochemical endpoints of PAH exposure and physiological endpoints of reproduction in male California Halibut (Paralichthys californicus) exposed to sediments from a natural oil seep

Coal Oil Point (COP) is a natural oil seep off the coast of Santa Barbara, California. Although most studies examining the fate and effects of petroleum have focused upon urbanized or anthropogenic sources of inputs, few have examined the effects of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) derived from natural seeps. In order to evaluate the effects of PAHs derived from COP on marine fish populations, hatchery-reared California Halibut (Platichthys californicus) were exposed for 30 days to seven dilutions of sediments collected from COP. Hepatic cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A), biliary fluorescent aromatic compounds (FACs), gonadal somatic indices, and plasma steroid concentrations. Sixteen USEPA priority PAHs were targeted for analysis in each sediment dilution. In general, biochemical responses were somewhat recalcitrant to dose-response relationships and were less sensitive than the literature values established for the same indicators following exposure to urbanized PAHs. Trends toward reductions in plasma 17beta-estradiol concentrations were observed, but reductions in gonadal somatic indices were not observed. FAC values for naphthalene, benzo(a)pyrene, phenanthrene-related compounds reached maximums at 33-100% COP sediment. The resulting insensitivity may be unique for exposure to "natural" petroleum due to a higher concentration of lower molecular weight PAHs or uncharacterized inhibitors.     

福建和粤东近岸海域沉积物中PAHs的含量分布特征及来源分析

2007年11-12月采集福建和粤东近岸海域的沉积物样品,对沉积物中的PAHs含量、组成进行研究,分析了研究海域沉积环境中PAHs的分布特征、来源,并利用Long等人建立的评价模式对PAHs的生态风险进行了评价.研究结果为深入研究海域沉积环境中PAHs的地球化学行为提供了科学依据.结果表明：研究海域PAHs的含量范围为52.93-398.50 ng/g,平均值为170.30 ng/g,研究发现闽江径流是影响海区沉积物中PAHs含量分布的重要因素之一.通过不同环数PAHs的相对丰度和异构体比值分析,对研究海区沉积物中PAHs进行了溯源分析,发现厦门以北海域沉积物中的PAHs主要来自化石燃料燃烧,而厦门以南海域则主要来源于石油污染.生态风险评价结果显示,研究海域PAHs对生物体极少产生负面生态效应,潜在生态风险很小.     

东海表层水体中的多环芳烃及其沉积通量估算

以东海陆架水体中溶解态多环芳烃(PAHs)含量为基础,引入颗粒相-水相间的物质吸附系数(Koc)计算悬浮颗粒物中PAHs有机碳归一化含量,结合陆架沉积物有机碳的年埋藏通量,估算东海陆架沉积物中PAHs沉积通量。结果显示:水体中溶解态的15种PAHs总含量为(701±392)ng/L,变化范围为412~1 032ng/L,PAHs组成以3环为主。计算得到的悬浮颗粒物中15种PAHs有机碳归一化含量为20~28μg/g,对应的PAHs沉积通量为150~210t/a。估算结果与实测沉积物中PAHs含量和沉积通量结果基本吻合,表明实验室模拟实验获取的化合物Koc值适用于东海颗粒相-水相间的分配模型,证实悬浮颗粒物有机碳含量在控制PAHs两相分布过程中起着重要作用。同时,该方法为海洋沉积物中PAHs沉积通量的估算提供一种新途径。     

沉积物中多环芳烃在海岸带水域自然环境中的衰减研究

本文在现场情况下，研究了自然条件下受污染海岸带沉积物中的7种多环芳烃（Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons，简称PAHs）的解吸动力学行为。结果表明，7种PAHs）的解吸动力学行为。结果表明，7种PAHs的解吸动力学行为可以用二元模型模拟。文中并将所得数据与文献报道的数据进行了比较。     

Trace elements and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentrations in deep Gulf of Mexico sediments

The concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and trace elements were determined for surface (top 2 cm) sediment samples collected during the deep Gulf of Mexico benthos (DGoMB) study .These elements and compounds are known to be toxic to organisms at high concentrations and may affect biological communities. There is no indication of major anthropogenic input of the elements Be, Co, Cr, Fe, Si, Tl, V, K, Mg, Ca, Sr and Zn, based on normalization to Al. The concentrations of these metals in the sediment are a function of the relative amounts of trace-metal-rich Mississippi River-derived silicate material and trace-metal-poor plankton-derived carbonate. This is not true for the elements Ba, Ni, Pb, Cd, As, Cu and Mn, whose concentrations show considerable scatter when normalized to Al and a general enrichment. On a normalized basis, Mn is enriched 5–10 fold, Cu and Ni 2–3 fold and Pb 2 fold over Mississippi River-derived material. These enrichments are likely the result of remobilization of metals from depths in the sediment column where reducing conditions exist. The Ba concentrations at selected sites are higher than those of average clay-rich sediments, but are typical of sediments from near oil well platforms in the northern Gulf of Mexico. In the case of Ba, it seems likely that the enrichments, as high as a factor of 10, are due to disposal of oil well drilling mud. The Ba-enriched samples are from the three shallowest water sites in the Mississippi Trough (sites MT1, 2 and 3) and from site C1 and WC5. All are in an area of intense petroleum exploration and development. PAH concentrations are also elevated at MT1, MT3 and C1. The total PAH concentration ranged from not detected (ND) to 1033 ng/g with a mean of 140 ng/g. Even at the sites most enriched in PAHs and trace elements, the concentrations are not at the levels expected to adversely affect the biota. However, these predicted non-effects are based on research using mostly near-shore estuarine species, not on the indigenous species at the sampling sites.     

挟沙能力公式系数的最佳确定

水流挟沙能力反映了运动水体所能挟带泥沙的最大能力,确定水流挟沙力公式对于泥沙数学模型的发展具有重要意义,而关键是其系数的最佳确定。基于最小二乘法原理,对目前广泛应用的水流挟沙力公式中的系数确定提出了一种新的方法——枚举法。枚举法直接应用最小二乘法,有别于常用的先取对数后再进行回归分析的传统方法,通过误差分析和结果比较,表明枚举法确定的系数更合理,也提高了公式的精度,使公式能更客观地反映水流挟带泥沙的实际能力。枚举法简单实用,是目前确定水流挟沙力公式系数的最佳方法。     

Biota: sediment partitioning of aluminium smelter related PAHs and pulp mill related diterpenes by intertidal clams at Kitimat, British Columbia

The question of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) bioavailability and its relationship to specific PAH sources with different PAH binding characteristics is an important one, because bioavailability drives PAH accumulation in biota and ultimately the biochemical responses to the PAH contaminants. The industrial harbour at Kitimat (British Columbia, Canada) provides an ideal location to study the bioavailability and bioaccumulation of sediment hydrocarbons to low trophic level biota. Samples of soft shell clams (Mya arenaria) and intertidal sediment collected from multiple sites over six years at various distances from an aluminium smelter and a pulp and paper mill were analysed for 106 PAHs, plant diterpenes and other aromatic fraction hydrocarbons. Interpretation using PAH source ratios and multivariate data analysis reveals six principal hydrocarbon sources: PAHs in coke, pitch and emissions from anode combustion from the aluminium smelter, vascular plant terpenes and aromatised terpenes from the pulp and paper mill, petroleum PAHs from shipping and other anthropogenic activities and PAHs from natural plant detritus. Harbour sediments predominantly contain either pitch or pyrogenic PAHs from the smelter, while clams predominantly contain plant derived PAHs and diterpenes from the adjacent pulp mill. PAHs from the smelter have low bioavailability to clams (Biota-Sediment Accumulation Factors; BSAFs <1 for pitch and coke; <10 for anode combustion, decreasing to ∼0.1 for the mass 300 and 302 PAHs), possibly due to binding to pitch or soot carbon matrices. Decreases in PAH isomer ratios between sediments and clams likely reflect a combination of variation in uptake kinetics of petroleum PAHs and compound specific metabolism, with the importance of petroleum PAHs decreasing with increasing molecular weight. Plant derived compounds exhibit little natural bioaccumulation at reference sites, but unsaturated and aromatised diterpenes released from resins by industrial pulping processes are readily accumulated by the clams (BSAFs >500). Thus while most of the smelter associated PAHs in sediments may not be bioavailable to benthic organisms, the plant terpenes (including retene, totarol, ferruginol, manool, dehydroabietane and other plant terpenes that form the chemical defence mechanism of conifers) released by pulp mills are bioavailable and possess demonstrated toxic properties. The large scale release of plant terpenes by some of the many pulp mills located in British Columbia and elsewhere represents a largely undocumented risk to aquatic biota.     

北黄海泥质区多环芳烃与黑碳的沉积记录

在北黄海中部泥质区采集柱状沉积物样品,对多环芳烃(PAHs)和黑碳(BC)的含量和来源进行研究。结果表明:(1)PAHs的含量变化范围为207~611ng/g;BC的含量变化范围为0.560~1.32mg/g;(2)对比低分子量(LMW)和高分子量(HMW)PAHs含量的历史变化趋势,发现1980s之前的PAHs主要来自于生物质的低温燃烧,之后主要来自于化石燃料的高温热解;(3)1920s之前,PAHs与BC含量基本保持稳定且处于较低值。1920s-1980s,PAHs含量受工业化和煤炭发展的影响较大,开始出现增长趋势。1980-1990s,由于能源消耗量的大幅度增加,导致PAHs和BC的含量迅速升高并达到最大值(1996年)。1990s初期-2000s初期,由于清洁能源的使用等原因,PAHs与BC含量都开始下降。(4)对PAHs和BC含量进行Spearman相关性分析,得出在1920年之前和1920-1980年之间,BC和PAHs含量无显著性相关(r=-0.25,P0.05,n=34;r=0.06,P0.06,n=11);而1980年之后,BC和PAHs含量呈显著性相关(r=0.90,P=0.04,n=5)。     

菲与纳米银对胶州湾表层沉积物反硝化作用的复合毒性效应评价

多环芳烃(PAHs)与纳米材料污染已对沉积物生态系统和人类生存环境构成严重威胁,其复合污染的毒性效应环境危害可能更大。为了深入探讨PAHs与纳米材料对近岸表层沉积物反硝化作用的复合毒性效应,本文选取位于胶州湾(JZB)的大沽河河口区(DRE)E站和湾内S站,分别以菲和纳米银代表PAHs和纳米材料,通过测定不同剂量单一及复合污染下沉积物反硝化潜势(PDA)的变化,结合浓度相加模型(CA)、独立作用模型(IA)和中效/联合指数等效图法(CI)三种复合毒性评价方法,评价菲和纳米银对沉积物反硝化潜势的复合毒性效应,并对评价方法进行了优选。结果表明,两种污染物浓度越高,对研究区域反硝化潜势的抑制作用越大。菲、纳米银单一及复合作用下对河口区沉积物反硝化潜势的EC50值分别为44.62、112.49和64.86 mg·kg-1,对湾内分别为61.79、147.05和96.18 mg·kg-1。菲单一作用对反硝化潜势的抑制效应强于纳米银,但复合污染的抑制效应更强。两种污染物对河口区的沉积物反硝化潜势抑制效应强于湾内,可能与河口区具有较高Eh和沉积物颗粒度及较低的pH、盐度和有机质含量有关。三种毒性效应评价方法的结果表明,菲和纳米银的复合污染对2个站位反硝化潜势的毒性效应均为协同作用,且对大沽河河口区的协同作用更强。此外,CI法对复合效应的预测结果比CA和IA法更为接近实际观测值,且CI不需要考虑污染物作用模式的限制,因此认为CI法更适用于评价混合污染对沉积物反硝化作用复合影响的效果。本研究结果表明,菲和纳米银会增强彼此对反硝化菌及反硝化功能的毒性效应,由此推断,PAHs和纳米材料在环境中同时存在时比其单独存在对沉积环境的危害更大。     

渤海湾中部表层沉积物中多环芳烃分布及其来源

通过对渤海湾中部海域19个站位表层沉积物样品中检测出的13种优控多环芳烃(EPAs)进行同分异构体、甲基菲、GC—MS定量等分析,探讨了研究区沉积物中多环芳烃分布特征、输入来源和污染水平,结果表明,研究区表层沉积物中多环芳烃总含量为2.1~374.8ng/g,平均值为33.1ng/g,多环芳烃总含量呈现出由近岸区向深海区递减的趋势,除最高值BG-60站位外,研究区与其他地区相比污染水平为中—低;化合物组成上以3~4环为主,5~6环次之,从多环芳烃组成以及异构体和甲基菲比值分析表明,研究区沉积物中PAHs以燃烧来源为主,石油类产品和石油化工燃料燃烧贡献最大,煤、木材燃烧贡献次之;高含量的菲和4个高成熟度异常点证实石油烃PAHs污染客观存在。     

National distribution of chemical concentrations in mussels and oysters in the USA

Since 1986 the NOAA National Status and Trends (NS&T) Program Mussel Watch has monitored concentrations of trace chemicals in the coastal United States by sampling mussels, oysters, and sediment. The sediment data have been used to define the status or geographic distribution of chemical concentrations (Daskalakis, K. D., & O'Connor, T. P. (1995). Distribution of chemical contamination in coastal and estuarine sediments. Marine Environmental Research 40, 381-398) and the molluscan data have provided an estimate of temporal trends (O'Connor, T. P. (1996). Trends in chemical concentrations in mussels and oysters collected along the US coast from 1986 to 1993. Marine Environmental Research 41,183-200, O'Connor, T. P. (1998). Mussel Watch results from 1986 to 1996. Marine Pollution Bulletin 37, 14-19). This paper centers on chemical concentrations in mollusks at 263 sites around the United States. It provides perspective on concentration ranges and on geographic distributions. For most organic chemicals and lead, concentrations vary in proportion to numbers of people living near a site. For elements, other than lead, high concentrations in mollusks can be due more to natural factors than to human activity. Concentrations of PAHs in tissues of mussels from urban areas are in a range reported to exert biological responses.     

Analysis of a PAH-degrading bacterial population in subsurface sediments on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Little is known about the types and concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) existing in the deep-sea subsurface environment, which is believed to be cold, oligothrophic and of high static pressure. PAHs in the upper layers of the water column are unavoidably subjected to degradation while they are deposited to the sea floor and become embedded in the deep-sea sediment. In this report, a high concentration of PAHs was discovered in the sediment 2.7 m beneath the bottom surface at a water depth of 3962 m on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR). The total concentration of PAHs was 445 ng (g dry wt sediment)^-1. Among the seven detected PAHs, the concentrations of phenanthrene (222 ng g^-1) and fluorene (79 ng g^-1) were relatively high. In addition, PAH-degrading bacteria were found within the sediments. As in a previously detected site on the MAR, in the PAH-enriched region of this site, a bacterium of the genus Cycloclasticus was found to be the predominant isolate detected by PCR-DGGE analysis. In addition, bacteria of the Halomonas, Marinobacter, Alcanivorax, Thalassospira and Maricaulis genera, were also included in the PAH-degrading community. In summary, a high concentration of PAHs was detected in the subsurface of the deep-sea sediment, and once again, the Cycloclasticus bacterium was confirmed to be a ubiquitous marine PAH degrader even in the subsurface marine environment. Considering the abundance of PAHs therein, biodegradation is thus thought to be inactive, probably because of the low temperature, limited oxygen and/or limited nutrients.     

中国北部辽东湾表层沉积物中PAHs源解析和生态风险评价

研究于2014年和2015年对辽东湾表层沉积物中16种多环芳烃（PAHs）的来源和生态风险状况进行了调查和评估。辽东湾表层沉积物中16种PAHs的含量范围为88.5-347 ng/g，高值区主要分布在辽东湾中部海域。对辽东湾各站位沉积物中多环芳烃的含量进行中聚类分析结果表明，辽东湾的采样站位可分为两类，一类站位主要分布在辽东湾沉积物中部海域，另一类站位主要分布在受陆源污染较为严重的近岸海域。辽东湾表层沉积物中PAHs的来源为燃烧源和石油源的混合来源，其中燃烧源为主要来源。萘、苊、苊烯、菲、二苯并[a,h]蒽可能偶尔会引发有害生物效应；辽东湾表层沉积物为低致癌风险；辽东湾中部海域表层沉积物中PAHs的生态风险和毒性污染水平高于辽东湾近岸海域。     

南大西洋沉积物中多环芳香化合物的组成特征研究

10 samples of sediments obtained from the South Mid-Atlantic Ridge were measured for the abundances and distributions of polycyclic aromatic compounds(PAHs). The total concentrations of PAHs(∑PAHs) ranged from 2.768 to 9.826 μg/g dry sediment. The ∑PAHs was higher in sample 22V-TVG10 and sample 26V-TVG05 which were close to hydrothermal fields, with the lowest value in sample 22V-TVG14 which was farthest from hydrothermal fields, suggesting a probable hydrothermal origin of ∑PAHs of samples. Approximately nine kinds of PAHs were identified, and low molecular mass tricyclic and tetracyclic aromatic compounds were predominant in the samples. The concentrations of fluoranthene which were typical as hydrothermal alteration compounds were the highest among PAHs with dry weight between 0.913–3.157 μg/g. The phenanthrene homologue was most abundant in the samples, and the ratios between parent phenanthrene and methylphenanthrene which probably reflected the degree of hydrothermal alteration ranged from 0.097 to 1.602. The sample 22V-TVG10 possessing a maximum ratio value showed the intense influence of the hydrothermal alteration on this sample, which might further imply that PAHs in sediments were mainly derived from the hydrothermal alteration.     

Modeling the changes in the concentration of aromatic hydrocarbons from an oil-coated gravel column

The performance of a lab-scale flow-through exposure system designed for the evaluation of ecotoxicity due to oil spills was evaluated. The system simulates a spill event using an oil-coated gravel column through which filtered seawater is passed and flows into an aquarium containing fish embryos of olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) and spotted sea bass (Lateolabrax maculates). The dissolved concentrations of individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the column effluent were monitored and compared with theoretical solubilities predicted by Raoult’s law. The effluent concentrations after 24 and 48 h were close to the theoretical predictions for the higher molecular weight PAHs, whereas the measured values for the lower molecular weight PAHs were lower than predicted. The ratios of the concentration of PAHs in flounder embryos to that in seawater were close to the lipid-water partition coefficients for the less hydrophobic PAHs, showing that equilibrium was attained between embryos and water. On the other hand, 48 h were insufficient to attain phase equilibrium for the more hydrophobic PAHs, indicating that the concentration in fish embryos may be lower than expected by equilibrium assumption. The results indicate that the equilibrium approach may be suitable for less hydrophobic PAHs, whereas it might overestimate the effects of more hydrophobic PAHs after oil spills because phase equilibrium in an oil-seawater-biota system is unlikely to be achieved. The ecotoxicological endpoints that were affected within a few days are likely to be influenced mainly by moderately hydrophobic components such as 3-ring PAHs.     

Internal recycling of particle reactive organic chemicals in the Chesapeake Bay water column

Hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) may be used as tracers of particle dynamics in aquatic systems. Internal cycling of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were studied in the mesohaline Chesapeake Bay to assess the role of resuspension in maintaining particle and contaminant inventories in the water column, and to compare settling and suspended particle characteristics. Direct measurements of sediment resuspension and settling conducted in conjunction with one of the sediment trap deployments indicate reasonable agreement between measurements of particle flux using the two different methods. Organic carbon and PCB concentrations in settling solids collected in near-surface sediment traps were remarkably lower than concentrations in suspended particles collected by filtration during the trap deployments, but higher PAH concentrations were found in the settling particles. The different behaviors of PAHs and PCBs in the settling particles are due to their different source types and association to different types of particles. Sediment trap collections in near bottom waters were dominated by resuspension. Resuspension fluxes of HOCs measured 2 m above the bay bottom were as high as 2.5 μg/m² day for total PCBs and 15 μg/m² day for fluoranthene, and were 25 and 10 times higher than their settling fluxes from surface waters, respectively. HOC concentrations in the near bottom traps varied much less between trap deployments than HOC concentrations in the surface traps, indicating that the chemical composition of the resuspended particles collected in the near bottom traps was more time-averaged by repeated resuspension than the surface particles.     

Sorption of Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by natural estuarine colloids

The sorptive behaviour of natural estuarine colloids was investigated with benzene, naphthalene and anthracene. The equilibrium sorption isotherms were linear. Freundlich partition coefficients normalized to the organic content of the colloids for benzene, naphthalene, and anthracene were 920, 4060 and 510000, respectively. These values are at least an order of magnitude higher than those reported for corresponding soil/sediment systems. This suggests that hydrophobic compounds are more strongly bound to estuarine colloidal organic material.The effect of pH on sorption waas also studied. A significant decrease in sorption was observed when the ambient pH (8·01) of natural water was decreased by a factor of 2. The experimentally determined K_oc values were regressed against the water solubilities of PAHs and compared with a corresponding predictine relationship developed for a soil/sediment system. Such information greatly facilitates prediction of PAH phase partitioning in natural waters.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface seawater and in indigenous mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from coastal areas of the Saronikos Gulf (Greece)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were identified and measured in surface seawater and in the tissues (gills and mantle) of indigenous black mussels, Mytilus galloprovincialis, collected from three coastal sites of Saronikos Gulf (Greece), a gulf that exhibits high levels of pollution. The total PAHs measured by spectrofluorometry in the surface seawater were found in the range of 425–459 ng L⁻¹ at the most polluted sites 1 and 2 (Elefsis Bay–Salamis Island) and in the range of 103–124 ng L⁻¹ at site 3 (Aegina Island). PAHs' sources in seawater were identified by application of specific PAH ratios, such as phenanthrene/anthracene and fluoranthene/pyrene. Levels of PAHs in soft tissues (gills and mantle) of indigenous mussels were much higher than those reported for seawater. Total PAH concentrations in mantle tissues were in the range of 1300–1800 ng g⁻¹ dry weight (dw) tissue at sites 1 and 2 and approximately 380 ng g⁻¹ dw at site 3. In gill tissues total PAH concentrations were in the range of 1480–2400 ng g⁻¹ dw at sites 1 and 2 and approximately 430 ng g⁻¹ dw at site 3. PAHs composition was dominated by two-, three- and four-ring compounds in seawater, where 17 different PAH compounds were identified and measured in mussel tissues. Mussels can be used as sentinel organisms to monitoring PAHs' contamination, since they concentrate PAHs from the surrounding water media and therefore making the chemical analysis simpler and less prone to error than that for water. In surface seawater possible weathering and photodegradation due to hot climates contribute to reduced PAHs concentrations.     

Stress protein expression in Ampelisca abdita (Amphipoda) exposed to sediments from San Francisco Bay

Stress proteins (heat shock proteins, hsps) form part of the cellular protein repair system, and are induced by a wide variety of Stressors. To determine their suitability as tools for assessing sublethal sediment toxicity, we measured levels of members of the stress protein families hsp60 and hsp70 in benthic estuarine amphipods (Ampelisca abdita) exposed to sediments from 23 different sampling sites in San Francisco Bay for 10 d. Concentrations of sediment-associated xenobiotics were determined. Per cent survival was recorded and surviving animals were analysed for stress proteins using western blotting techniques. An inverse correlation (r² = 0.44) was seen between amphipod survival and hsp64 levels, and hsp64 levels were positively correlated with concentrations of total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (r² = 0.5). Principal component analysis revealed that amphipod mortality was linked to a combination of several PAHs (phenanthrene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo(a)pyrene) and di-n-butylphthalate at southern San Francisco Bay sites. At northern San Francisco Bay sites, negative correlations were found between hsp64 levels and organotin compounds (MBT, DBT, TBT), and between hsp71 levels and the PAHs, benzo (b,k)fluoranthene and benzo(G,H,I)perylene, suggesting an inhibitory effect of these compounds on stress protein expression.