Distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments from Kyeonggi Bay, Korea

Sixty-six sediment samples were collected from Kyeonggi Bay, Korea, in December 1995 and analysed for a suite of 2–6 ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Sediments were collected in the Han River estuary, Incheon Harbour, from nearshore locations adjacent to large industrial complexes south of Incheon, and along transects toward the open sea. Concentrations of PAHs (9.1–1400 ng g−1 dry wt with an average of 120 ng g−1) were positively correlated with organic carbon (OC) content and negatively correlated with mean sediment grain size. The highest PAH concentrations were in samples from inner Incheon Harbour basins; these levels decreased within a short distance from these heavily industrialised waterways. The sources of PAHs were determined to be primarily combustion in nature based on the distribution of alkylated homologs to parent compounds. Overall, sediment PAHs in Kyeonggi Bay were lower than those in the United States and Europe. The potential for biological effects due to PAHs alone is expected to be low based on comparisons of individual and ΣPAH concentrations with effects-based and equilibrium partitioning-based sediment quality guidelines/criteria.