Distribution, sources and effect of PAHs in surficial sediments of Lebanon

Abstract

Organic pollutants are one of the major pollutants causing a threat to human health. These pollutants, such as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), are transported to the marine environment due to oil spills, waste discharge, and fuel combustion. They can accumulate in water sediments, which can cause an important damage to the aquatic life and can affect human health. In Lebanon, the organic pollution in sediments is still a new field. Although a few studies were done to determine the PAHs concentrations in some Lebanese coastal zones, only one study was published on the determination of the sources and ecotoxicological risks of PAHs in sediments. Therefore, the objectives of this project are to i) perform a mapping of the PAHs concentrations for the coastal regions of Tripoli, Jounieh, Dora, and Tyre, ii) study the possible sources of PAHs and iii) determine their potential ecotoxicological effect. In order to achieve these objectives, a Geographical Information System (GIS) was used to interpolate PAHs concentrations to the larger areas and identify the regions affected by the PAHs pollutants. Then, the sources of PAHs were identified using different molecular ratios. Ecotoxicological risks were then calculated based on the carcinogenic potential of PAHs. Results indicated that the source of PAHs was both petrogenic and pyrogenic. No important ecotoxicological effect was detected for these pollutants.