The presence and distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were evaluated for the first time in cultured mussels at Ilha Grade Bay, the largest mariculture center in the Rio de Janeiro State, Southeast Brazil. Analyses of PAHs on soft tissue were performed in triplicate by GC-MS on composite samples (10 individuals each) collected in 2011 at six mussel farms. The mean concentration of the total PAHs (38 compounds), excluding one farm, was 14.0 ± 8.53 ng g-1, whereas the 16 priority PAHs was 9.51 ± 4.78 ng g-1. These values characterize the farmed mussels analyzed as having low level of PAH contamination. The exception was the farm in Mombaça, where the total PAHs of 584 ng g-1 (16 PAHs of 22.4 ng g-1) and the profile of individual PAHs suggest moderate contamination by petrogenic sources. All the concentrations measured were below threshold values established by environmental and health agencies as limiting to pose risk to humans by mussel consumption.
mollusks; sentinel organism; PAHs; mariculture
