Ecological Risk Assessment of Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the North Port, Malaysia

Authors: Belin Tavakoly Sany, Aishah Salleh, Abdul Halim Sulaiman, Ghazaleh Monazami Tehrani

Abstract:

The pollution of sediments sampled from the North Port by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was investigated. Concentrations of PAHs estimated in the port sediments ranged from 199 to 2851.2 μg/kg dw. The highest concentration was found which is closed to the Berth line, this locations affected by intensive shipping activities and Land based runoff and they were dominated by the high molecular weight PAHs (4–6- rings). Source identification showed that PAHs originated mostly from the pyrogenic source either from the combustion of fossil fuels, grass, wood and coal (majority of the samples). Ecological Risk Assessment on the port sediments presented that slightly adverse ecological effects to biological community are expected to occur at the vicinity of the stations 1 and 4. Thus PAHs are not considered as pollutants of concern in the North Port.

Keywords: PAHs, North Port, Ecological Risk, sediment

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1061757

References:

[1] Neff, J.M., S.A. Stout, and D.G. Gunster, Ecological risk assessment of PAHs in sediments. Identifying sources and toxicity.Integr. Environ. Assess. Manage, 2005. 1(1): p. 22-33.
[2] Khairy, M.A., et al., Risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a Mediterranean semi-enclosed basin affected by human activities (Abu Qir Bay, Egypt). Journal of hazardous materials, 2009. 170(1): p. 389-397.
[3] Sakaria, M., et al., The History of Petroleum Pollution in Malaysia; Urgent Need for Integrated Prevention Approach. 2011.
[4] Neff, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the aquatic environment. Sources, fates and biological effects1979.
[5] Chong , V.C., et al., The fish and prawn communities of a Malaysian coastal mangrove system. With comparisons to adjacent mudflats and inshore waters. Est Coasta Shelf Science, 1990(31): p. 703-722.
[6] Rauret, G., Extraction procedures for the determination of heavy metals in contaminated soil and sediment. Talanta, 1998. 46(3): p. 449-455.
[7] Tessier, A., P.G.C. Campbell, and M. Bisson, Sequential extraction procedure for the speciation of particulate trace metals. Analytical chemistry, 1979. 51(7): p. 844-851.
[8] Fang, T.H. and E. Hong, Mechanisms influencing the spatial distribution of trace metals in surficial sediments off the south-western Taiwan. . Marine pollution bulletin,, 1999. 38(11): p. 1026-1037.
[9] Clesceri, L.S., A.E. Greenberg, and A.D. Eaton, Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. Washington, DC, 1998.
[10] USEPA, U.S. EPA Method 8270 for multicomponent analyte determination.
[11] Wang, C., et al., Sources and distribution of aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Yellow River Delta Nature Reserve, China. Applied Geochemistry, 2011.
[12] Caeiro, S., et al., Assessing heavy metal contamination in Sado Estuary sediment: An index analysis approach. Ecological Indicators, 2005. 5(2): p. 151-169.
[13] H├╝bner, R., K.B. Astin, and R.J.H. Herbert, Comparison of sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) for the assessment of metal contamination in marine and estuarine environments. J. Environ. Monit., 2009. 11(4): p. 713-722.
[14] Long, E.R. and L.G. Morgan, The Potential for Biological Effects of Sediments-Sorbed Contaminants Tested in the National Status and Trends Program, 1990, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admininistration.
[15] Long, E.R., et al., Incidence of adverse biological effects within ranges of chemical concentrations in marine and estuarine sediments. Environmental management, 1995. 19(1): p. 81-97.
[16] Liu, A., et al., Ecological risk analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface sediments from Laizhou Bay. Environmental monitoring and assessment, 2009. 159(1): p. 429-436.
[17] AlvarezÔÇÉGuerra, M., et al., Sediment quality assessment and dredged material management in Spain: Part I, application of sediment quality guidelines in the Bay of Santander. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, 2007. 3(4): p. 529-538.
[18] Leorri, E., et al., Geochemical and microfaunal proxies to assess environmental quality conditions during the recovery process of a heavily polluted estuary: The Bilbao estuary case (N. Spain). Science of the total environment, 2008. 396(1): p. 12-27.
[19] Vallejuelo, et al., Risk assessment of trace elements in sediments: The case of the estuary of the Nerbioi-Ibaizabal River (Basque Country). Journal of Hazardous Materials 2010. 181: p. 565-573.
[20] World Health Organization (WHO), IARC Monographs, vol. 46, InternationalAgency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France. 1989: p. 41- 155.