Polycyclic aromatic compounds and saturated hydrocarbons in tissues of flatfish: Insight on environmental exposure

The concentration of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) was investigated in muscle, liver and gonad of American plaice and yellowtail flounder collected in the northwest Atlantic. A broader range of PACs was detected in liver than in muscle or gonad of flatfish, including sulphur heterocycles indicative of a source of petroleum hydrocarbons. Lower levels of PACs were observed in ovaries than testes of same size fish and possibly negatively correlated to gonad indices. Different ratios were observed between parental and alkylated PACs, with species, location, tissue or season. The following concentration trend was consistently observed in muscle: NA > C-1NA > C-2NA > C-3NA ≥ C-4NA. Saturated hydrocarbons represented by n-alkanes were analysed in tissues of yellowtail flounder. Muscle and gonads had undetectable concentrations, while livers displayed a fingerprint predominated by biogenic alkanes.