Mitigation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)in roasted beef patties by cold plasma treatment and products quality evaluation

The cold plasma(CP)technique was applied to alleviate the contamination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon(PAH)in this investigation.Two different CP treatments methods were implemented in the production of beef patties,to investigate their inhibition and degradation capacity on PAHs.With 5 different cooking oils and fats addition,the inhibition mechanism of in-package cold plasma(ICP)pretreatment was explored from the aspect of raw patties fatty acids composition variation.The results of principal component analysis showed that the first two principal components accounted for more than 80%of the total variation in the original data,indicating that the content of saturated fatty acids was significantly positively correlated with the formation of PAHs.ICP pretreatment inhibited the formation of PAHs by changing the composition of fatty acids,which showed that the total amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids decreased and the total amount of monounsaturated fatty acids increased.Sensory discrimination tests demonstrated there were discernable differences between 2 CP treated samples and the controls,utilization of the ICP pretreatment in meat products processing was expected to achieve satisfying eating quality.In conclusion,CP treatment degraded PAHs through stepwise ring-opening oxidation in 2 reported pathways,the toxicity of PAHs contaminated products was alleviated after CP treatment.

Changes in the Non-targeted Metabolomic Profile of Three-year-old Toddlers with Elevated Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Objective To investigate changes in the urinary metabolite profiles of children exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)during critical brain development and explore their potential link with the intestinal microbiota.Methods Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to determine ten hydroxyl metabolites of PAHs(OH-PAHs)in 36-month-old children.Subsequently,37 children were categorized into low-and high-exposure groups based on the sum of the ten OH-PAHs.Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used to identify non-targeted metabolites in the urine samples.Furthermore,fecal flora abundance was assessed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing using Illumina MiSeq.Results The concentrations of 21 metabolites were significantly higher in the high exposure group than in the low exposure group(variable importance for projection>1,P<0.05).Most of these metabolites were positively correlated with the hydroxyl metabolites of naphthalene,fluorine,and phenanthrene(r=0.336–0.531).The identified differential metabolites primarily belonged to pathways associated with inflammation or proinflammatory states,including amino acid,lipid,and nucleotide metabolism.Additionally,these distinct metabolites were significantly associated with specific intestinal flora abundances(r=0.34–0.55),which were mainly involved in neurodevelopment.Conclusion Higher PAH exposure in young children affected metabolic homeostasis,particularly that of certain gut microbiota-derived metabolites.Further investigation is needed to explore the potential influence of PAHs on the gut microbiota and their possible association with neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Eco-toxicity and health risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments of Burullus Lake in Egypt

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)are ubiquitous environmental contaminants of growing concern due to their potential ecological and human health risks.This study presents a comprehensive assessment of PAHs contamination in the surface sediments of Burullus Lake,a vital and second largest delta lake in Egypt.The aim was to evaluate the eco-toxicity and potential health risks associated with the presence of these compounds.Surface seven sediment samples were collected from various drains in the southern part of Burullus Lake.Soxhlet extraction method was employed to extract PAHs(16PAHs)from the sediment sample.Analytically,target compounds were located using HPLC.The results showed that samples contained PAHs levels ranging from 0.038×10^(-6)to 0.459×10^(-6),which is considered heavily polluted by the European standard for PAHs pollution.Additionally,there was no apparent source of PAHs in the ElKhashah drain or the Brinbal Canal,as HPLC found none of the compounds.The most prevalent compound in sediment samples along the study area was fluoranthene.The diagnostic indices in the present study indicated that the hydrocarbons in the region originated from pyrolytic and man-made sources along the drains of Burullus Lake.The principal component analysis(PCA)and diagnostic ratios revealed that coal combustion and pyrolytic sources were responsible for the PAHs contamination in the surface sediments.The non-carcinogenic risk(HI),which is the product of the HQs for the adult and child populations,respectively,was calculated.HI values under 1,therefore,demonstrated that they had no carcinogenic effects on human health.TEQs and MEQs in the sediments of Burullus Lake do not have a cancer-causing impact on people.For the safety of nearby wildlife,aquatic life,and people,all activities that raise petroleum hydrocarbon levels in Burullus Lake must be adequately regulated and controlled.According to the ecological risk assessment,there is little chance that PAHs will be found in the sediments of Burullus Lake.This study underscores the urgent need for effective pollution control measures and regular monitoring of PAHs levels in Burullus Lake sediments to protect the aquatic ecosystem and public health.It also highlights the importance of considering eco-toxicity and human health risks in integrated risk assessments of PAHs-contaminated environments.

Coking and decoking chemistry for resource utilization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)and low-carbon process

Low-carbon process for resource utilization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)in zeolitecatalyzed processes,geared to carbon neutrality-a prominent trend throughout human activities,has been bottlenecked by the lack of a complete mechanistic understanding of coking and decoking chemistry,involving the speciation and molecular evolution of PAHs,the plethora of which causes catalyst deactivation and forces regeneration,rendering significant CO_(2) emission.Herein,by exploiting the high-resolution matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry(MALDI FT-ICR MS),we unveil the missing fingerprints of the mechanistic pathways for both formation and decomposition of cross-linked cage-passing PAHs for SAPO-34-catalyzed,industrially relevant methanol-to-olefins(MTO)as a model reaction.Notable is the molecule-resolved symmetrical signature:their speciation originates exclusively from the direct coupling of in-cage hydrocarbon pool(HCP)species,whereas water-promoted decomposition of cage-passing PAHs initiates with selective cracking of inter-cage local structures at 8-rings followed by deep aromatic steam reforming.Molecular deciphering the reversibly dynamic evolution trajectory(fate)of full-spectrum aromatic hydrocarbons and fulfilling the real-time quantitative carbon resource footprints advance the fundamental knowledge of deactivation and regeneration phenomena(decay and recovery motifs of autocatalysis)and disclose the underlying mechanisms of especially the chemistry of coking and decoking in zeolite catalysis.The positive yet divergent roles of water in these two processes are disentangled.These unprecedented insights ultimately lead us to a steam regeneration strategy with valuable CO and H_(2) as main products,negligible CO_(2) emission in steam reforming and full catalyst activity recovery,which further proves feasible in other important chemical processes,promising to be a sustainable and potent approach that contributes to carbon-neutral chemical industry.

Study on Adsorption Removal of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons by Modified Mussel Shells

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)are typical persistent organic pollutants(POPs)that are commonly found in the environment.They are carcinogenic,teratogenic,mutagenic and biodegradable obviously.In this paper,the modified mussel shells were used to adsorb and remove anthracene.The results show that the adsorption removal rate of the mussel shells was higher after calcination at 600℃.5%H_(3)PO_(4) solution was more suitable for shell treatment than 3 mol/L ZnCl_(2) solution.As the dosage of the modified shells was 0.5 g/L,the adsorption reached a stable state,and the removal rate of PAHs was about 69.44%;the adsorption efficiency rose with the increase of time.It can be seen that as a new and cheap biological adsorbent,the modified shells can be used to remove PAHs from wastewater.

Development of analytical methods for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in airborne particulates: A review

In the present work, the different sample collection, pretreatment and analytical methods for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs） in airborne particulates is systematacially reviewed, and the applications of these pretreatment and analytical methods for PAHs are compared in detail. Some comments on the future expectation are also presented.

Characterization of Hapten-Protein Conjugates for Immunoassay of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons(PAHs)

Preparation and characterization of the hapten-protein conjugates are fundamental to developing environmental immunoassays. As a hapten, 1-pyrenebutyric acid（PBA） was conjugated to the carrier protein of bovine serum albumin（BSA） or ovalbumin（OVA） by active ester method. Infrared spectra（IR） showed that PBA-BSA and PBA-OVA conjugates were successfully prepared. The number of the haptens conjugated to the carrier protein was determined by ultraviolet spectra（UV） and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry（MALDI-TOF-MS）. The calculated average binding ratios of PBA/BSA and PBA/OVA were 18：1 and 10：1 by UV, and 31：1 and 22：1 by MALDI-TOF-MS, respectively. Although there was a discrepancy between the results determined by the two methods, both of them were useful for the characterization of the hapten-protein conjugates. The antibody was produced against the antigen of PBA-BSA, and the affinity was tested by the double agar diffusion method The conjugates and the antibody could be used for developing a sensitive and selective immunoassay of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons（PAHs）.

Transport and behavior of marine oil spill containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in mesocosm experiments

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)are one of the most important groups in oil,and re sponsible for major toxic and/or carcinogenic impact on humans and wildlife.It is important to understand the behavior of PAHs in marine environment after an oil-spill incident.However,interaction between petroleum PAHs and microbial communities in a marine environment remains unclear.Therefore,a series of mesocosm experiments were conducted.in which water-accommodated fraction(WAF)of oil was generated to simulate an oil-spill scenario and to analyze the transport and behavior of marine oil spill containing PAHs with and without dispersants.Results indicate that the application of dispersant could increase the concentration of total PAHs in water column due mainly to significant increase in the concentration of highmolecular weight(HMW)PAHs at a lower removal rate.At the end of the 7-day experiment,significant amount of HMW PAHs were accumulated in sediment.In general,the application of dispersant did not increase the sediment uptake of PAHs but increased the PAHs concentration in water column.

Inhibitory effect of coriander(Coriandrum sativum L.)extract marinades on the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in roasted duck wings

Coriander(Coriandrum sativum L.)is recognized for its antioxidant property,as a kind of natural phenolic-rich ingredient.Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)present a class of heat-driven hazards in foods,especially the processed meat.In this study,the effect of coriander root and leaf extract on the formation and inhibition of PAH8 in roasted duck wings was firstly investigated.Coriander root extract(CRE)and coriander leaf extract(CLE)with five concentration groups(200,400,600,800,1000 mg/L)were prepared respectively to marinate the duck wings.CRE marinade exhibited greater inhibitory effect on PAH8 formation in roasted duck wings that ranged from 65.0%-87.4%.The electron spin resonance study indicated a significantly positive correlation between PAH8 and free radical level,suggesting the participation of radicals in PAHs formation.Also,it was speculated that the inhibitory effect on PAH8 was related to the phenolic compounds identified in coriander marinades.CRE made greater inhibitory effect on the formation of PAH8 and could be considered as a kind of natural source to mitigate PAHs in heat-processed meat products.

Survey of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)in arterial street air of Hangzhou

The presence of particulate and vapor PAHs, SO2 and NOx and other interrelated conditions (temperature, traffic intensity and wind velocity) were investigated in the arterial street air of Hangzhou. The concentration of the nine PAHs in the air was mean to 11.7 μg/m3, and the content of benzo(a) pyrene was up to 0.108 μg/m3. The contents of PAHs in the sampling sites were in good relation to the traffic intensity, and would be also affected by the terrain and meteorological conditions. The occurrences of PAHs in ambient air were mainly affected by their physical, chemical characters and temperature. The three- and four-ring PAHs (MW&le228) mainly existed in the vapor phase and the five-ring PAHs (MW > 228) existed predominately in the particulate phase. The fraction of vapor PAHs in the total nine PAHs was 84.2% in the air of the sampling sites. In the morning and evening, the concentrations of PAHs in the arterial street air were higher than that on the noon and the diurnal variation of PAHs was similar to that of the traffic gas NOx. A conclusion would be drawn that the major source of PAHs in the arterial street air was the traffic. And the results indicated that 75% of BaP would come from traffic source and remaining 25% of BaP would come from non-traffic source.

Study on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contents and sources in the surface soil of Huizhou City, South China, based on multivariate statistics analysis

Studies of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the surface soil were conducted in Huizhou City, which is located in the Pearl River Delta, South China. Sixteen PAHs in 42 soil samples were detected. The results showed that 4 components of PAHs were detectable in all soil samples, and other 12 components were also detect- able to some extent. The total PAHs contents range from 35.40 to 534.5 μg/kg with the mean value of 123.09 μg/kg. Soil in Huizhou was slightly polluted by PAHs according to Maliszewska-Kordybach’s study. It can be confirmed that the increase of PAHs contents in the surface soil of Huizhou City is closely connected to human activities. Mul- tivariate analysis was also made in this study. Principal component analysis was used to constrain their origins, and 3 principal components (PCs) were extracted. The results showed that coal combustion and oil spilling made the major contributions to PAHs. Cluster analysis was made and 16 priority PAHs were classified as 4 sorts, and the result revealed the differences in environmental behavior, chemical properties and sources of PAHs.

Fate of Parent and Substituted Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in SBR/MBBR Treatment Process:Experimental Value Against Model Prediction

The knowledge of the existence,distribution and fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)and substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(SPAHs)in wastewater treatment plants(WWTPs)was vital for reducing their concentrations entering the aquatic environment.The concentrations of 13 SPAHs and 16 PAHs were all determined in a WWTP with styrene butadiene rubber(SBR)in partnership with the moving bed biofilm reactor(MBBR)process.SPAHs presented a higher concentration lever than PAHs in nearly all samples.The total removal efficiencies of PAHs and SPAHs ranged from 64.0%to 71.36%and 78.4%to 79.7%,respectively.The total yearly loads of PAHs(43.0 kg)and SPAHs(73.0 kg)were mainly reduced by the primary and SBR/MBBR biological treatment stages.The tertiary treatment stage had a minor contribution to target compounds removal.According to a synthesis and improvement fate model,we found that the dominant processes changed as the chemical octanol water partition coefficient(K_(ow))increased.But the seasonal variations of experimental removal efficiencies were more obvious than that of predicted data.In the primary sedimentation tank,dissolution in the aqueous phase and sorption to sludge/particulate matter were controlling processes for the removal of PAHs and SPAHs.The sorption to sludge and biodegradation were the principal removal mechanisms during the SBR/MBBR biological treatment process.The contribution of volatilization to removal was always insignificant.Furthermore,the basic physicochemical properties and operating parameters influenced the fate of PAHs and SPAHs in the WWTP.

Ultrasensitive Detection of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons(PAHs) in Water Using Three-Dimensional SERS Substrate Based on Porous Material and pH 13 Gold Nanoparticles

Sensitivity is crucially important for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy(SERS)application to detect trace-level polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)in the seawater.In this study,a high sensitivity three-dimensional(3-D)SERS substrate composed with syringe filter,glycidyl methacrylate-ethylene dimethacrylate(GMA-EDMA)porous material and optimal parameters(57 nm,pH 13)gold nanoparticles(Au NPs)was developed for the detection of PAHs in water.The enhancement effect and repeatability of this 3-D substrate were also explored.The Raman intensity of pyrene using 3-D SERS substrate is about 8 times higher than that of substrate only using p H 13 gold colloid solution and about 12 times higher than that of substrate using natural Au NPs and GMA-EDMA porous material,which means both the pH 13 AuN Ps and the GMA-EDMA porous material are important factors for the sensitivity of this 3-D SERS substrate.Good repeatability of this optimal 3-D substrate was obtained.The relative standard deviation(RSD)is less than 8.66% on the same substrate and less than 3.69% on other different substrates.Four kinds of PAHs,i.e.,phenanthrene,pyrene,benzo(a)pyrene,benzo(k)fluoranthene and their mixture,were detected at the different concentrations.Their limits of detection(LODs)are 8.3×10^-10(phenanthrene),2.1×10^-10(pyrene),3.8×10^-10(benzo(a)pyrene)and 1.7×10^-10 mol L^-1(benzo(k)fluoranthene),respectively.In addition,these four PAHs were also detected by fluorescence spectroscopy to evaluate the sensitivity of SERS technology using this optimal 3-D SERS substrate.The results showed that the sensitivity of SERS based on the 3-D SERS substrate even using the portable Raman system was closed to that of fluorescence spectroscopy.Therefore,the SERS technology using this optimal 3-D substrate is expected to be an in-situ method for the detection of environmental PAHs.

Abundance and Source Identification of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Sediments of the Ivory Coastal Zone (Toukouzou Hozalem-Assinie)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are strongly associated with agricultural, residential, transportation, industrial and petroleum activities. In this study, the presence of PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) was investigated in sediments of the ivory coastal zone (Toukouzou Hozalem-Assinie). The main objectives of this study were to determine the abundance and to predict the source of PAHs in the sediments. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to analyze sixteen priority PAHs. Total PAHs concentrations were from 1.31 to 3992.68 mg/kg in sediment with an average concentration of (307.54 ± 16.10) mg/kg. Among all PAHs, Naphthalene (Nap = 332.72 mg/kg) and Phenanthrene (Phe = 41.75 mg/kg) were found in the highest concentration, whereas Benzo (k) Fluoranthene was found in the least concentration in the range of 0 - 0.85 mg/kg (mean 0.24 mg/kg). Bassam-Modeste Lagune (BML) sampling site was the site with the highest concentration of total PAHs (all 16 PAHs) compared to the others due to their location in a highly populated estuary area that receives commercial, tourism, port, petroleum and heavy industrial activities. Diagnostic ratios were used to determine the sources of PAHs and suggested that the PAH profile in the sediments was dominated by 2 and 3 ring PAHs. The patterns of PAH compounds in sediment indicated that contamination is from mixed sources, with a strong indication of petrogenic contamination potentially from spills of fuel, oil and industrial activities.

Ultrasonic wave extraction and simultaneous analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and phthalic esters in soil

A method is developed for detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) and Phthalic Acid Esters(PAEs) in soil samples. Ultrasonic Wave Extraction under airtight circumstances is adopted to extract the analytes in soil samples with n-hexane–acetone(V:V=1:1) as extraction solvent. This method has several advantages, including high extraction efficiency, short time, convenience and simplicity. It can be used to detect polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) and Phthalic Acid Esters(PAEs) in soil.

The Pollution Characteristic of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Typical Sewage Irrigation Area in North of China

This research aims to investigate the pollution characteristic of PAHs in Xiaodian sewage irrigation area. The result shows that the concentrations ofPAHs range from 47.94 to 46432.85ng/g while that of the total components of the 16 kinds of PAHs are 5969.81ng/g. PAHs with for rings and more than 4 rings are the main and important pollutants in topsoils of Xiaodian District. The main input of PAHs is combustion source, and the main pollution source in this area is fired coal. The topsoils in Xiaodian District are polluted by human activity in varying degrees. 23 of all 31 topsoil samples have been heavily polluted, especially those located nearby developed industrial townships and irrigation channels.

The Study of Pollution of PAHs （Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons） in AI-Hilla River, Iraq by Using Bioindicator Freshwater Crab （Sesarma boulengeri Caiman）

The present study was used freshwater Crab （Sesarma boulengeri Caiman） as bioindicator to measured the PAHs levels in AI-Hilla River, Iraq, during the period from March 2010 to February 2011. Crab samples were collected from two sites on the AI-Hilla River. Sixteen of PAils compounds were identified seasonally in these samples. High mean value was （72.06 μg/g）, recorded by Dibenzo （a, h） anthracene （DbA） in Site 1 and low mean value was （0.36 μg/g） recorded by Anthracene （Ant） in Site 2. The study showed a clear variation in PAHs concentration independent from the seasons and locations. Site 1 recorded high value of HMW （high molecular weight） and LMW （low molecular weight） more than Site 2. The present study revealed that all PAHs compounds were from Pyrogenic Origin. Seven carcinogenic PAHs （cPAHs） were recorded in crab tissues that were collected from the AI-Hilla River. The TEF （toxicity equivalency factor） was calculated to toxicity equivalent crab concentration. From the results, the fresh water Crab Sesarma boulengeri is a good bioindicator to water pollution by PAHs.

CARBONIZED FIBROUS RESIN AS A NEW SORBENT FOR SAMPLING POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAHS) IN AMBIENT AIR

A new sampling method of ambient air analysis using carbonized fibrous resin as a sorbent for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was reported. The physical and chemical properties of the carbonized fibrous resins were measured. The sample pretreatment with ultrasonic extraction and subsequent clean-up elution through a silica gel column was optimized. The suitable ultrasonic extraction conditions were selected as follows: resin weight was 1.5 g, ultrasonic extraction time 20 min, volume of extraction solvent 100 ml and extraction operation times 2~3. The concentrated extractable organic matter was submitted to next step of clean-up procedure of adsorption chromatography on silica gel column/n-hexane and a mixture of dichloromethene:n-hexane solution 2:3 (v/v). The PAHs fractions in the real samples from Changzhou, China were particularly analyzed using GC-MS data system and the data of mass spectra, retention times and scan numbers of the real samples were compared with that of the standards of 16 PAHs listed by the US EPA as 損riority pollutants?of the environment. The analysis of the real samples indicates that the carbonized fibrous resin is a good sorbent. The pretreatment of samples of ambient air with carbonized fibrous resin as a sorbent for PAHs is proved to be reliable and might be used for the procedure of the determination of PAHs in atmospheric environment.

An innovative classification system for ranking the biological effects of marine aromatic hydrocarbons based on fish embryotoxicity

Petroleum hydrocarbon pollution is a global concern,particularly in coastal environments.Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) are regarded as the most toxic components of petroleum hydrocarbons.In this study,the biomonitoring and ranking effects of petroleum hydrocarbons and PAHs on the marine fish model Oryzias melastigma embryos were determined in the Jiulong River Estuary(JRE) and its adjacent waters in China.The results showed that the levels of petroleum hydrocarbons from almost all sites met the primary standard for marine seawater quality,and the concentrations of the 16 priority PAHs in the surface seawater were lower compared with those in other coastal areas worldwide.A new fish expert system based on the embryotoxicity of O.melastigma(OME-FES) was developed and applied in the field to evaluate the biological effects of petroleum hydrocarbons and PAHs.The selected physiological index and molecular indicators in OME-FES were appropriate biomarkers for indicating the harmful effects of petroleum hydrocarbons and PAHs.The outcome of OME-FES revealed that the biological effect levels of the sampling sites ranged from level Ⅰ(no stress) to level Ⅲ(medium stress),which is further corroborated by the findings of nested analysis of variance(ANOVA) models.Our results suggest that the OME-FES is an effective tool for evaluating and ranking the biological effects of marine petroleum hydrocarbons and PAHs.This method may also be applied to evaluate other marine pollutants based on its framework.

Distribution and Sources of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) in Marine Environment of China

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are potentially carcinogenic and mutagenic compounds that have raised considerable environmental concern. The highest concentrations of PAHs in the coastal sediment samples in China was 5.8-11.0μg/g (dry weight) in the core from the Huangpu River, Shanghai. The second highest concentration of PAHs was 4.42μg/g (dry weight) in surface sediment of Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, and 5.73μg/g (dry weight) in sediment of Jiaozhou Bay, Qingdao City. The low concentrations of PAHs were always in the sediments far away from industrial zones and cities, and ranged from 0.10 to 0.30μg/g (dry weight). Several environmental parameters are considered for the identification of sources of PAHs in marine environment. High proportion of naphthalene, low molecular weight PAHs and alkylated PAHs, plus high ratio of phenanthrene to anthracene (>15) and low ratio of fluoranthene to pyrene (<1) suggested a petrogenic source. According to these parameters, the Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary of Shanghai, Jiaozhou Bay of Qingdao City, Zhujiang (Pearl) River mouth, Jiulong River mouth and most of Hong Kong coastal waters were heavily contaminated by PAHs from petrogenic sources. However, PAHs in rural coastal areas were dominated by pyrolytic origin PAHs. This review clearly showed that oil pollution and incomplete combustion of oil, coal and biomass are the main reason for PAHs anormalies in the study areas.