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Abstract
Marine organisms exposed to oil spills are able to take up and store hydrocarbons; in particular benthic animals and plants can reach a petroleum concentration in their tissues several orders of magnitude higher than in the surrounding water.
The present study was carried out in order to determine the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in a common bivalve of the Mediterranean coasts, Venus verrucosa. The organisms were collected in the area along the Ligurian coast, where the Haven wreckage took place and the 16 EPA priority pollutant PAH compounds were determinated.
The PAHs were determined by HPLC with a fluorescent detector; the PAH levels found can be considered moderately high.