ABSTRACT
Among the most ubiquitous organic xenobiotics in estuarine and marine environments are compounds termed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which have become increasingly important because of their potential carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, and teratogenicity to aquatic organisms and man. Most PAH compounds released into the environment originate from anthropogenic activities, although some PAHs are synthesized by bacteria, plants, and fungi or derive from natural products and processes, such as coal and oil, grass and forest fires, and marine seep and volcanic emissions. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are a group of compounds consisting of hydrogen and carbon arranged in the form of two or more fused aromatic (benzene) rings in linear, angular, or cluster arrangements with unsubstituted groups possibly attached to one or more rings. Estuaries and nearshore coastal waters in proximity to urban and industrial centers are major repositories of PAHs. For example, coastal waters near Boston, Providence, Baltimore, San Francisco, and Seattle exhibit elevated PAH readings.
