Sedimentary records of PAHs in a sediment core from tidal flat of Haizhou Bay, China Original Research Article

The concentrations and depositional fluxes of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in a dated sediment core collected from a tidal flat in Haizhou Bay, China. The USEPAʹs 16 priority PAH concentrations ranged from 72.51 ng g− 1 dw in 1969 to 805.21 ng g− 1 dw in 2010, while the deposition fluxes were in the range of 102.36–861.02 ng cm− 2 yr− 1. The PAH concentrations and fluxes changed dramatically with depth, suggesting changes in energy usage and corresponding closely with the historical economic development of eastern China. The levels of PAHs slightly increased from the late 1970s, following Chinaʹs “Reform and Open” policy of 1978; however, a drastic increase in the concentration of PAHs observed in 1990 was indicative of the rapid growth in coal and petroleum incomplete combustion byproducts, which was associated with the increase in economic development in this area. Furthermore, isomer ratio analysis and principle component analysis revealed the main anthropogenic pyrolytic source that causes PAH contamination in the coastal sediment.