BaselineSources, trends and ecotoxicological risks of PAH pollution in surface sediments from the northern Adriatic Sea (Croatia)

- PAH contamination of sediments in the northern Adriatic has been investigated.
- Analysed PAHs were mainly of pyrolitic origin.
- No clear historical trend in PAH concentration has been observed.
- Ecotoxicological risks related PAH pollution of surface marine sediments are low.

In this study, the levels, sources and historical trends (2007-2012) of PAH pollution in surface sediments in the northern Adriatic Sea (Croatia) have been assessed. In addition, ecotoxicological risks have been estimated by evaluating the PAH dataset against Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs). The results indicate that PAH in surface sediments are of pyrolitic origin with no clear positive or negative trend in PAH concentration over the investigated period. Evaluations against SQG and mSQGq indicate that surface sediments at all sampling sites have a low to medium ecotoxicological risk. In order to improve trend analysis and characterization of PAH pollution in surface sediments in this region an increase in spatial resolution of sampling points is recommended.