Validation of Ucides cordatus as a bioindicator of oil contamination and bioavailability in mangroves by evaluating sediment and crab PAH records

This study is aimed at verifying the relevance of Ucides cordatus as a bioindicator of oil contamination and PAH bioavailability in mangrove sediments. For this, crabs and sediment cores were sampled from five mangroves, including an area suspected of contamination derived from an MF380 oil spillage, and analyzed for the 16 PAH in the USEPA priority list as well as for the five series of alkylated homologues. Concentrations in sediments varied from 35 μg kg− 1 in the lower core layer of the control area to 33,000 μg kg− 1 in the upper layer of the most contaminated area. Total PAH contents in crabs varied from 206 to 62,000 μg kg− 1 and were closely correlated to that in sediments. In general, individual PAH profiles in both matrices were in good agreement. Phenanthrenes, however, were more predominant in crabs making up to 30–46% of the Total PAH. Accumulation factors found in the range of 0.7 to 35 were highly variable even after normalizing concentrations for organic carbon and lipid content. Survival in highly contaminated environment and reliable record of environmental contamination in the tissue provide evidence that U. cordatus is an excellent bioindicator for oil in mangroves.