Table 2.
Concentrations of the 16 priority PAHs in the water and sediment samples from Buffalo River Estuary
| PAHs | Surface water | Sediment | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Range (µg/L) | Mean (µg/L) | MAC (µg/L) | FD (%) | Range (µg/kg) | Mean (µg/kg) | ERL (µg/kg) | ERM (µg/kg) | FD (%) | |
| Naphthalene | ND—12.69 | 6.94 ± 0.6 | 1 | 17 | ND—652 | 361 ± 40.2 | 160 | 2100 | 42 |
| Acenaphthylene | ND—14.29 | 7.39 ± 1.78 | NR | 7 | ND—816 | 119 ± 43.28 | 44 | 640 | 84 |
| Acenaphthene | ND—19.03 | 3.05 ± 1.29 | 6 | 23 | ND—731 | 177 ± 61.11 | 16 | 500 | 74 |
| Fluorene | ND—12.11 | 3.59 ± 0.50 | 12 | 63 | ND—1380 | 435 ± 96.4 | 19 | 540 | 95 |
| Anthracene | ND—7.81 | 1.97 ± 0.32 | NR | 47 | ND—749 | 230 ± 59.41 | 853 | 1100 | 95 |
| Phenanthrene | ND—14.22 | 3.59 ± 0.76 | NR | 47 | ND—476 | 173 ± 33.24 | 240 | 1500 | 95 |
| Fluoranthene | ND—0.54 | 0.24 ± 0.04 | NR | 13 | ND—456 | 109 ± 28.66 | 600 | 5100 | 74 |
| Pyrene | ND—8.72 | 1.32 ± 0.35 | NR | 60 | ND—923 | 125 ± 50.24 | 665 | 2600 | 95 |
| Benzo(a)anthracene | ND—10.34 | 3.24 ± 0.45 | NR | 90 | 56.94—1490 | 223 ± 73.36 | 261 | 1600 | 100 |
| Chrysene | ND—19.01 | 4.39 ± 0.82 | 0.1 | 87 | ND—1015 | 398 ± 67.47 | 384 | 2800 | 95 |
| Benzo(b)fluoranthene | ND—7.41 | 3.52 ± 0.37 | NR | 70 | 33.49—1107 | 325 ± 81.7 | NA | NA | 100 |
| Benzo(k)fluoranthene | ND—9.26 | 3.12 ± 0.41 | NR | 60 | ND—772 | 205 ± 40.65 | NA | NA | 79 |
| Benzo(a)pyrene | ND—6.25 | 3.29 ± 0.31 | 0.01 | 73 | ND—351 | 185 ± 21.48 | 430 | 1600 | 90 |
| Dibenzo(a,h)anthracene | ND—19.34 | 11.41 ± 0.95 | NR | 43 | ND—2799 | 827 ± 167 | 63.4 | 260 | 79 |
| Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene | ND—24.91 | 7.2 ± 1.03 | NR | 67 | ND—7792 | 712 ± 420 | NA | NA | 79 |
| Benzo(g,h,i)perylene | ND—20.26 | 11.79 ± 1.03 | NR | 47 | ND—801 | 456 ± 33.76 | NA | NA | 79 |
| ∑PAHs | 14.91–206 | 76.06 ± 11.01 | – | 1107–22,310 | 5060 ± 1319 | 4000 | 44,792 | – | |
| ∑LMW | ND—53.24 | 26.53 ± 5.25 | – | 37.45—2538 | 1496 ± 334 | – | – | – | |
| ∑HMW | ND—90.56 | 49.53 ± 5.76 | – | 383—9747 | 3564 ± 985 | – | – | – | |
| ∑cPAHs | 6.66—96.53 | 36.17 ± 4.34 | – | 674—15,326 | 2875 ± 872 | – | – | – | |
∑PAHs sum of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, ∑cPAHs sum of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, ∑LMW sum of low molecular weight PAHs, ∑HMW sum of high molecular weight PAHs, FD frequency of detection, MAC maximum allowable concentrations, ERL effects range low, ERM effects range median, NR not recommended (British Columbia 1993; Jiao et al. 2012)