DISTRIBUTION AND COMPOSITION OF PAHs IN SURFACE WATERS, POREWATER AND SEDIMENTS FROM XIAMEN WESTERN BAY

Xiamen Western Bay‘s water and sedimem quality were studied by detemaining thelevels of sixteen polycyclic amrrmtic hydrocarbons PAHs in water, porewater and sediment samples from nine locations in the bay. Total PAH concentrations varied from 106 to 945 ng/1 in water, below detectionto 3548 ng/1 in porewater, and 247 to 480 ng/g dry weight in surface sediments. PAHs levels in porewaterwere higher than those in surface water, due to the preference of these hydrophobic compounds for sedimentary phase instead of water. Such a concentration gradient implies a potential flux of pollutants fromsediments to overlying water. The PAils levels in sediments were one to several orders of magnitude lowerthan those in 1993, suggesting their decreased input in recent years and possible degradation with time.