PAH Archives - One Earth - One Ocean e. V.

Pollutants bioavailability and toxicological risk from microplastics to marine mussels

guenther — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 21:33:49 +0000

Carlo Giacomo Avio, Stefania Gorbi, Massimo Milan, Maura Benedetti,
Daniele Fattorini, Giuseppe d’Errico, Marianna Pauletto, Luca
Bargelloni, Francesco Regoli, Pollutants bioavailability and
toxicological risk from microplastics to marine mussels, Environmental
Pollution, Volume 198, March 2015, Pages 211-222, ISSN 0269-7491,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2014.12.021.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749114005211)
Abstract: Microplastics represent a growing environmental concern for
the oceans due to their potential of adsorbing chemical pollutants, thus
representing a still unexplored source of exposure for aquatic
organisms. In this study polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS)
microplastics were shown to adsorb pyrene with a time and dose-dependent
relationship. Results also indicated a marked capability of contaminated
microplastics to transfer this model PAH to exposed mussels Mytilus
galloprovincialis; tissue localization of microplastics occurred in
haemolymph, gills and especially digestive tissues where a marked
accumulation of pyrene was also observed. Cellular effects included
alterations of immunological responses, lysosomal compartment,
peroxisomal proliferation, antioxidant system, neurotoxic effects, onset
of genotoxicity; changes in gene expression profile was also
demonstrated through a new DNA microarray platform. The study provided
the evidence that microplastics adsorb PAHs, emphasizing an elevated
bioavailability of these chemicals after the ingestion, and the
toxicological implications due to responsiveness of several molecular
and cellular pathways to microplastics.
Keywords: Microplastic; PAHs; Bioavailability; Biomarkers; Mussels;
Transcriptomics

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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) formation from the pyrolysis of different municipal solid waste fractions

guenther — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 20:44:13 +0000

Hui Zhou, Chunfei Wu, Jude A. Onwudili, Aihong Meng, Yanguo Zhang, Paul
T. Williams, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) formation from the
pyrolysis of different municipal solid waste fractions, Waste
Management, Available online 11 October 2014, ISSN 0956-053X,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2014.09.014.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956053X1400436X)
Abstract: The formation of 2?4 ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
(PAH) from the pyrolysis of nine different municipal solid waste
fractions (xylan, cellulose, lignin, pectin, starch, polyethylene (PE),
polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyethylene
terephthalate (PET)) were investigated in a fixed bed furnace at 800 °C.
The mass distribution of pyrolysis was also reported. The results showed
that PS generated the most total PAH, followed by PVC, PET, and lignin.
More PAH were detected from the pyrolysis of plastics than the pyrolysis
of biomass. In the biomass group, lignin generated more PAH than others.
Naphthalene was the most abundant PAH, and the amount of
1-methynaphthalene and 2-methynaphthalene was also notable. Phenanthrene
and fluorene were the most abundant 3-ring PAH, while benzo[a]anthracene
and chrysene were notable in the tar of PS, PVC, and PET. 2-ring PAH
dominated all tar samples, and varied from 40 wt.% to 70 wt.%. For PS,
PET and lignin, PAH may be generated directly from the aromatic
structure of the feedstock.
Keywords: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH); Waste; Plastics;
Biomass; Pyrolysis

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Quality assessment of the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis): Comparison between commercial and wild types

guenther — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 20:39:26 +0000

B. De Witte, L. Devriese, K. Bekaert, S. Hoffman, G. Vandermeersch, K.
Cooreman, J. Robbens, Quality assessment of the blue mussel (Mytilus
edulis): Comparison between commercial and wild types, Marine Pollution
Bulletin, Volume 85, Issue 1, 15 August 2014, Pages 146-155, ISSN
0025-326X, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.06.006.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X14003671)
Abstract: This study compared species identity, microplastics, chemical
and microbial contamination between consumption mussels and wild type
mussels, collected at Belgian department stores and Belgian groynes and
quaysides, respectively. Species identification based on genetic
analysis showed a high number of Mytilus (M.) edulis compared to M.
galloprovincialis and M. edulis/galloprovincialis hybrid mussels. The
number of total microplastics varied from 2.6 to 5.1 fibres/10 g of
mussel. A higher prevalence of orange fibres at quaysides is related to
fisheries activities. Chemical contamination of polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons and polychlorobiphenyls could be related to industrial
activities and water turbidity, with maximum concentrations at the
quayside of port Zeebrugge. The inverse was noted for Escherichia coli
contamination, which was relatively low at Zeebrugge quayside with a
total count of 3.9 × 102 CFU/100 g tissue, due to limited agricultural
effluents. Results of this complementary analysis stress the importance
of integrated monitoring and quality assessment.
Keywords: Mytilus edulis; Mussels; PAH; PCB; E. coli; Microplastics

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Persistent organic pollutants

guenther — Sun, 27 Apr 2014 17:54:38 +0000

Farrington, J.W., and H. Takada. 2014. Persistent organic pollutants
(POPs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and plastics: Examples
of the status, trend, and cycling of organic chemicals of environmental
concern in the ocean. Oceanography 27(1):196?213,
http://dx.doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2014.23.

Abstract
Four decades of research have provided a reasonable understanding of the
outline of the biogeochemical cycles of persistent organic pollutants
(POPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in coastal ocean and
surface ocean ecosystems, including atmospheric transport to the sea,
air-sea exchange processes, and the role of particulate matter in
removing these chemicals from surface waters. It is clear that deep
ocean fish are contaminated with POPs. However, despite available
sampling and analytical capabilities, deep ocean ecosystems are much
less sampled and understood. A multidecade assessment of POPs and PAHs
in US coastal waters using bivalve sentinel organisms documents high
concentrations near urban areas and also some stations where
concentrations have begun to decline. The results are consistent with
coastal sediments near urban areas being a leaky sink for POPs and PAHs,
and sources from land continuing to contribute these contaminants to the
sea. Other studies document coastal and continental margin surface
sediments as a sink, albeit a potentially leaky sink, for POPs and PAHs.
Floating plastic debris, including small pellets, has reemerged as an
oceanic environmental concern. A "Pellet Watch" assessing plastic
pellets and associated POPs and PAHs is underway. Enhanced studies of
deep-ocean ecosystems are recommended. The findings are also relevant to
biogeochemical cycles for emerging organic pollutants.

http://tos.org/oceanography/archive/27-1_farrington1.pdf

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Polystyrene Plastic: A Source and Sink for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Marine Environment

guenther — Sat, 26 Apr 2014 19:45:19 +0000

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es403605f

Chelsea M. Rochman, Carlos Manzano, Brian T. Hentschel, Staci L. Massey
Simonich, and Eunha Hoh
Polystyrene Plastic: A Source and Sink for Polycyclic Aromatic
Hydrocarbons in the Marine Environment
Environ. Sci. Technol., 2013, 47 (24), pp 13976?13984
DOI: 10.1021/es403605f

Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on virgin polystyrene (PS) and
PS marine debris led us to examine PS as a source and sink for PAHs in
the marine environment. At two locations in San Diego Bay, we measured
sorption of PAHs to PS pellets, sampling at 0, 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12
months. We detected 25 PAHs using a new analytical method with
comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to
time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Several congeners were detected on
samples before deployment. After deployment, some concentrations
decreased (1,3-dimethylnaphthalene and 2,6-methylnaphthalene), while
most increased [2-methylanthracene and all parent PAHs (PPAHs), except
fluorene and fluoranthene], suggesting that PS debris is a source and
sink for PAHs. When sorbed concentrations of PPAHs on PS are compared to
the five most common polymers [polyethylene terephthalate (PET),
high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density
polyethylene (LDPE), and polypropylene (PP)], PS sorbed greater
concentrations than PP, PET, and PVC, similar to HDPE and LDPE. Most
strikingly, at 0 months, PPAHs on PS ranged from 8 to 200 times greater
than on PET, HDPE, PVC, LDPE, and PP. The combination of greater PAHs in
virgin pellets and large sorption suggests that PS may pose a greater
risk of exposure to PAHs upon ingestion.

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Concentration and composition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in plastic pellets

guenther — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 15:46:09 +0000

Mara Fisner, Satie Taniguchi, Alessandra P. Majer, Márcia C. Bícego, 
Alexander Turra, Concentration and composition of polycyclic aromatic 
hydrocarbons (PAHs) in plastic pellets: Implications for small-scale 
diagnostic and environmental monitoring, Marine Pollution Bulletin, 
Volume 76, Issues 1–2, 15 November 2013, Pages 349-354, ISSN 0025-326X, 
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.09.045.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X13005961)
Abstract: Plastic pellets may serve as a carrier of toxic contaminants, 
including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Considering that 
beach morphodynamics and pellet distribution varied along the shore, and 
that contaminant sources may vary on different scales, it is expected 
that this variability is reflected in the concentration and composition 
of contaminants. This hypothesis was tested through a sampling of 
plastic pellets at 30 sites along the shore in Santos Bay (Brazil). The 
total PAH concentrations and the priority PAHs showed high variability, 
with no clear pattern. Their composition differed among the sampling 
sites; some of the compounds represent a potential risk to organisms. 
The sources of contamination, as indicated by the isomer ratios, were 
also variable among sites. The high small-scale spatial variability 
found here has implications for estimating the plastic pellet 
contamination on beaches, since a sample from a single site is unlikely 
to be representative of an entire beach.

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Monitoring of a wide range of organic micropollutants on Portuguese coast using plastic resin pellets

guenther — Sun, 29 Dec 2013 11:28:49 +0000

Kaoruko Mizukawa, Hideshige Takada, Maki Ito, Yeo Bee Geok, Junki 
Hosoda, Rei Yamashita, Mahua Saha, Satoru Suzuki, Carlos Miguez, João 
Frias, Joana Cepeda Antunes, Paula Sobral, Isabelina Santos, Cristina 
Micaelo, Ana Maria Ferreira, Monitoring of a wide range of organic 
micropollutants on the Portuguese coast using plastic resin pellets, 
Marine Pollution Bulletin, Volume 70, Issues 1–2, 15 May 2013, Pages 
296-302, ISSN 0025-326X, 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.02.008.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X13000647)
Abstract: We analyzed polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyl 
dichloroethane and its metabolites, hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), 
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and hopanes, in plastic resin 
pellets collected from nine locations along the Portuguese coast. 
Concentrations of a sum of 13 PCBs were one order of magnitude higher in 
two major cities (Porto: 307 ng/g-pellet; Lisboa: 273 ng/g-pellet) than 
in the seven rural sites. Lower chlorinated congeners were more abundant 
in the rural sites than in the cities, suggesting atmospheric 
dispersion. At most of the locations, PAH concentrations (sum of 33 PAH 
species) were ∼100 to ∼300 ng/g-pellet; however, three orders of 
magnitude higher concentrations of PAHs, with a petrogenic signature, 
were detected at a small city (Sines). Hopanes were detected in the 
pellets at all locations. This study demonstrated that multiple sample 
locations, including locations in both urban and remote areas, are 
necessary for country-scale pellet watch.

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Toxic Plastic Contaminates the Ocean, Beaches, and Can Poison Wildlife

guenther — Sun, 22 Dec 2013 18:31:26 +0000

http://www.seaturtles.org/article.php?id=2543

Toxic Plastic Contaminates the Ocean, Beaches, and Can Poison Wildlife

Posted by Chris Pincetich, Ph.D. on November 22nd, 2013

New scientific research has confirmed fears of the global impacts of 
marine plastic pollution to marine life and marine ecosystems. Plastic 
does adsorb toxic PCBs, PBDEs and PAHs* from seawater and does transfer 
toxicity from adsorbed chemicals to fish that ingest them, found a new 
study published in Nature yesterday. Experimental fish were fed a 
“clean” diet, a diet with bits of virgin plastic, or a diet with bits of 
plastic that had adsorbed contaminants while suspended in a marine 
environment near San Diego, California. Toxicologists then dissected the 
fish and determined that there was a significant transfer of PBDEs to 
the fish tissue from the plastic that had adsorbed marine contaminants, 
and that the livers of some fish developed cellular damage. This 
controlled experiment confirmed the discussions I have been leading for 
years on the potential eco-toxic impacts of marine plastic pollution to 
young, endangered sea turtles.

Plastic can be a vector for increased pollutant exposure to fish, and 
likely sea turtles and other marine wildlife, but how bad is the overall 
contamination of plastic in the Pacific Ocean?

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