I denna studie har förekomst av Polycykliska aromatiska kolväten (PAHer) i musslor undersökts. Syftet var att undersöka vilka PAHer som förekom, i vilka halter och ifall dessa nivåer överskred gränsvärdena för humankonsumtion. Vissa PAHer är skadliga för människan då de kan ge upphov till cancer. Vilda och odlade musslor jämfördes för att se om innehållet av PAHer skiljde sig åt. Musslor från sex olika provplatser undersöktes. Två prov handplockades vilda utanför Stenungssund, Sverige. Danska vildfångade musslor undersöktes, likaså vildfångade svenska musslor. Även odlade musslor från Irland och odlade musslor från Sverige undersöktes. Resultaten visar att fluoranten, fenantren, pyren, krysen, benzo(e)pyren och benzo(b)fluoranten var de ämnen som förekom i högst halter. Av de alkylerade PAHerna var 2-metylantracen-9,10-dion, 2-metylfenantren, 2-metylkrysen och 1-metylfluoranten vanligast. Halterna av oxy-PAHer var låga, förutom för antracen-9,10-dion, benzo(h)quinolin samt 2-metylantracen-9,10-dion. Utifrån de riktvärden som finns för humankonsumtion överskred inga musslor gränsvärdena. Inga skillnader kunde ses mellan odlade och vilda musslor. Sammanfattningsvis förekommer PAHer i musslor, men inte i sådan halt att musslorna inte är godkända som livsmedel. / In this study, the presence of PAHs in mussels were investigated. The aim was to examine the occurrence of PAHs, at which levels and if these levels exceeded the limits for human consumption. Some PAHs are toxic to humans as they can give rise to cancer. Wild and cultivated mussels were compared to see if the content of PAHs was different. Mussels from six different test sites were examined. Two wild samples were hand-picked outside Stenungsund, Sweden. Furthermore, wild clams from both Sweden and Denmark were sampled. Also cultured mussels from Ireland and cultured mussels from Sweden were investigated. The results show that fluoranthene, phenanthrene, pyrene, chrysene, benzo(e)pyrene and benzo(b)fluoranthene were the compounds that occurred at the highest levels. The most common alkylated PAHs were 2-methylanthracene-9,10-dione, 2-methylphenanthrene, 2-methylchrysene and 1-methylfluoranthene. The concentrations of oxy-PAHs were low except for anthracene-9,10-dione, benzo(h)quinoline and 2-methylanthracene-9,10-dione. Based on the guideline values available for human consumption, no mussels exceeded the limits. No differences could be seen between wild and cultivated mussels. To sum up, PAHs were found in mussels, but not at such concentration that the mussels would not be approved for human consumption.

Soil that is heavily contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is often found at the sites of former gasworks and wood-impregnation plants. Since PAHs are toxic these sites represent a hazard to human health and the environment, and therefore they need to be treated, preferably by a method that destroys the contaminants, and thus eliminates the problem permanently. However, during biological and chemical degradation of PAHs other toxic compounds may be formed. If these transformation products are sufficiently persistent they could potentially accumulate during remedial processes. In the work underlying this thesis the degradation and transformation of PAHs were studied in three remedial processes: viz. a pilot-scale bioslurry reactor, microcosms with wood-rotting fungi and lab-scale treatments with Fenton's reagent. A group of transformation products referred to as oxygenated-PAHs (oxy-PAHs) was found to be particularly important, as these compounds are toxic and were shown to be relatively persistent in the environment. The oxy- PAHs were, for instance, found at significant concentrations in the gasworks soil used in most of the studies. This soil was highly weathered and had therefore been depleted of the more readily degradable compounds. In addition, experiments in which earthworms were exposed to the gasworks soil showed that the oxy-PAHs were more easily taken up in living organisms than PAHs. To facilitate the studies, new extraction and fractionation methods were developed. For instance, pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) was investigated for its reliability and efficiency to extract PAHs and oxy-PAHs from soil. Furthermore, a selective PLE-method was developed that can simultaneously extract and separate the PAHs and oxy-PAHs into two different fractions. This was accomplished by adding a chromatographic material (silica or Florisil) to the extraction cell. Under certain conditions all three remedial processes resulted in increasing amounts of oxy- PAHs in the soil. For example, 1-acenaphthenone and 4-oxapyrene-5-one accumulated in the bioslurry reactor. Similarly, in the soil inoculated with a white-rot fungus 9-fluorenone, benzo[a]anthracene-7,12-dione, 4-hydroxy-9-fluorenone and 4-oxapyrene-5-one accumulated. Finally, in an ethanol-Fenton treatment the concentration of some PAH-quinones increased in the soil. The results show that it might be necessary to monitor oxy-PAHs as well as PAHs during the remediation of PAH-contaminated sites. Otherwise, the soil may be considered detoxified too early in the process. In the long term it would be desirable to include analyses with sufficient marker compounds to follow the possible production and elimination of the oxy-PAHs. However, until such compounds can be identified it is suggested that contaminated soil should be screened for oxy-PAHs in general. The selective PLE-method presented in this thesis could be a useful tool for this.