The GEEP Workshop: organic chemical analyses

Abstract

For the GEEP Workshop, gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric (GUMS) analyses of selected 2- to 5-ring aromatic hydrocarbons were performed for water, sediments, mussels Mytilus edulis and crabs Carcinus maenas in the mesocosm experiment at Solbergstrand. The experiment involved dosing of 3 different concentrations of diesel oil and copper to the mesocosm basins, and the chemical analysis showed that elevated abundance of compounds from the diesel oil could be detected in water and organisms but not in sediments. Mussels and crabs sampled along a pollution gradient in Langesundfjord were analysed for selected aromatic hydrocarbons by GUMS and for selected PCBs by GC. The concentrations formed a clear gradient from the 'cleanest' site in Langesund Bay (Site l), through increasing levels of contamination (Sites 2 and 3), to the most contaminated site at the head of Langesundfjord, closest to the industrial activity (Site 4). Mussels had the highest concentrations of aromatic hydrocarbons, especially unsubstituted 4- and 5-ring PAHs, while crabs had the highest concentrations of PCBs.