Seasonal dynamics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons between water and sediment in a tide-dominated estuary and ecological risks for estuary management.

Understanding the transportation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) across the water-sediment interface can help researchers to partition their sources while being particularly important for managing PAH input. This study fully explored the PAH dynamics between water and sediment in a tide-dominated estuary. The monthly concentration of ΣPAHs in sediments ranged from 325.47 to 1098.49 ng/g (dry weight), while that in water varied from 154.00 to 725.80 ng/L. The PAH levels found in the present study were relatively high in comparison with other estuarine systems worldwide. The high-molecular-weight PAHs were more readily redissolved from sediment to water, while the low-molecular-weight PAHs were mostly in an unsaturated state with diffusion occurring from water to sediment. The seasonal differences of ΣPAHs were significant and were largely controlled by the changes in sediment properties, marine currents, and water temperature. The diagnostic ratios revealed that predominant sources of PAHs were pyrogenic processes and petrogenic inputs.