article · Arabian Journal of Chemistry
An investigation of sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) along the Egyptian Red Sea shoreline recorded sediment concentrations spanning from 1.43 to 4990.69 micrograms per gram dry weight in spring and 1.64 to 6397.69 micrograms per gram in autumn. Compounds containing four to six rings dominated the most heavily contaminated locations. Diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis indicated that pyrogenic sources, primarily combustion processes, were the main contributors to the contamination, with inputs notably elevated in zones associated with maritime traffic. Although surface sediments posed low to sporadic toxicity risks to marine life, the cumulative ecological risk quotient placed the region at a high-risk level. Furthermore, health risk estimations revealed that sediments at several stations present potential carcinogenic hazards, with children being particularly susceptible, and benzo[a]pyrene acting as the principal driver of toxicity.
Hydrocarbon contamination from shipping and combustion accumulates in shoreline sediments, threatening marine habitats and human health. Demonstrating that coastal sediments in this region carry elevated ecological risk quotients and potential cancer risks, especially for children, underscores the necessity of continuous toxicological surveillance and informs regulatory strategies aimed at managing maritime pollution and safeguarding coastal populations.
This early-stage research provides environmental profiling and highlights benzo[a]pyrene as a viable toxicity indicator for coastal monitoring. Environmental consultancy firms, maritime regulators, and municipal protection agencies could utilise these diagnostic findings to target pollution remediation and compliance testing. However, the work remains an observational field study, with no immediate commercial product, assay, or deployable technology reported in the abstract.
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This study investigated the concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments from the shoreline of the Red Sea. 16 PAH concentrations ranged from 1.43 to 4990.69 µg/g dry weight to 1.64 to 6397.69 µg/g dry weight during spring and autumn, respectively. Most sites with the highest PAH concentrations were (4–6 rings) compounds. The sources of PAHs were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) and diagnostic ratios between combinations of PAHs. The results indicated that the pyrogenic source was the primary source of PAHs. The results showed that surface sediment from all sample sites presents low to sporadic toxicity concerns to marine organisms. Total carcinogenicity and mutagenicity of eight priority PAHs ranged from 0.03 to 863.96 and 0.09 to 1197.85 µg/g dry weight, respectively (TEQBaP and MEQBaP). BaP accounted for most of the influence among the eight carcinogenic PAHs and could be employed as a particular PAH toxicity indicator. Using the toxic equivalent quotient (TEQcarc) and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) to estimate human health risk, it has been determined that sediment contaminated with PAHs in some study area stations may possess the capacity to cause cancer, particularly in children. The ecological risk posed by PAHs was evaluated using a risk quotient (RQ). The RQPAHs estimated for the samples revealed that the study region was at a high-risk level. Anthropogenic hydrocarbon inputs that were more pronounced in locations connected to maritime activity are described in this study. Further monitoring studies encompassing different environmental matrices about PAHs pollution and their toxicological relevance should be conducted.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.arabjc.2023.104999
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