Research Product

Benzo(a)pyrene (BAP) and several other polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PNAH), many which are carcinogenic in vertebrates, are found in low levels in crude oil, particularly refined oils, and thousands of kg of these compounds enter the sea each year. Weathered and partially degraded oils may also contain additional oxidation products of potential carcinogenicity. More recently, several reports indicate that, in general, PNAHs found at ppb levels in marine animal tissues are derived from common combustion sources and not directly from petroleum contamination. The use of bivalve mollusks for monitoring marine environments in order to detect and quantitate various pollutants, including chemical carcinogens, has been advocated by many investigators. Indigenous populations of shellfish seem to be ideal subjects for evaluating carcinogenic PNAH loads in the marine environment. The purposes of this study were to measure BAP concentrations in indigenous populations of mussels for a two-year period, determine seasonal fluctuations in BAP body burdens, and analyze factors that may influence temporal concentration patterns.