Sources and Toxicity Effects of Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) in Water Resources and Sediments

Abstract

PAHs are semi-volatile organic compounds containing two or more aromatic rings. PAH concentrations and their effects on aquatic environments are among the issues that have been emphasized in recent years. Sediments are one of the most important PAH reservoirs in the aquatic environment. Therefore, sediments are frequently used in the evaluation of water quality pollution of aquatic ecosystems. PAHs can reach receiving environments from various sources and are formed due to incomplete combustion of organic compounds. PAHs have harmful effects on the environment and human health and with industrial development, there have been significant increases in PAH concentrations in the natural environment. Due to the intense urbanization and industrialization in industrial-dense basins, PAH amounts are expected to be high. The monitoring of 16 priority PAH species determined by the USEPA in water resources and sediments, and the determination of the concentrations of PAHs in water and sediments are very important in terms of revealing the PAH-toxicity relationship. In this study, the studies in the literature are compiled and the results of the studies conducted in the world on this subject are revealed.