Bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the North Sea

Semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) and blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) were used to determine the bioavailable fraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from oil field produced water in the North Sea. The SPMDs and mussels were deployed at 5, 10, and 50 m depth; 100 and 300 m downstream the discharge point; and at a reference site 16 km away. In both SPMDs and mussels, the concentration of PAHs increased significantly toward the discharge point, with the strongest contribution from the lower molecular weight compounds (naphthalene, phenanthrene, dibenzothiophene, and their C1-C3 alkyl homologues). The relative increase in PAH concentration from the reference site to the site at 100 m was higher for mussels than for the SPMDs. The SPMDs reflect the water-soluble fraction of the PAHs, which is probably the most important route of exposure for organisms at lower trophic levels and presumably also the fraction available for uptake by a respiratory route. Residues in the mussels represent both the water-soluble and particle-bound fraction and give information about bioavailability of the PAHs for organisms at higher trophic levels. The results of this study suggest that both techniques give important information about the bioavailability of PAHs to marine organisms.