Identification of PAHs Sources in Bivalves and Sediments 5 Years After the Sea Prince Oil Spill in Korea

On 23 July 1995, the oil tanker Sea Prince ran aground near Son Island, off the South Coast of Korea and spilled 5040 tons of crude and fuel oil into the marine environment. The effects of the Sea Prince oil spill on the marine environment have been investigated since 1996. The main objectives of this study were to find out the residual effects of beached oil and transport of dispersed oil into the subtidal area. Twenty-four PARs were analyzed and principal component analysis was performed to elucidate weathering status, bioaccumulation pattern, and input sources. There were signs of bioconcentration of oil-derived PAHs in mussels of stranded oil remained sites. However, environmental factors overwhelmed these so that all the bivalves studied showed similar pattern in the last two sampling campaigns. There was no significant evidence of transport of oil-derived PAHs into the subtidal environment. However, one station showed an exceptionally high concentration (923 ng/g dry weight), which implies the limited input of particle-bound PAHs into this confined area.