Fluxes of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to marine and lacustrine sediments in the northeastern United States

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were measured in dated sediment cores from several sites in the northeastern United States. Fluxes of ten PAH were measured for each site for the periods roughly corresponding to the present, 1950, and 1900. Remote sites consistently demonstrated present-day deliveries of individual PAH near 1 ng cm-2 yr-1, probably reflecting the atmospheric fallout of these combustion-derived pollutants. Sites located nearer to urban centers showed much greater current inputs, presumably caused by greater fallout of PAH-laden particles nearer their urban origins, augmented by runoff delivery of PAH-contaminated sediments. Differences in the relative abundances of individual PAH at remote-versus-urban locations support suggestions of different delivery mechanisms. The sedimentary historical records of PAH inputs confirm the previous finding that anthropogenic activities began introducing large quantities of PAH into the environment about 80-100 years ago.