Accumulation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Lake Baikal Fouling

Abstract

The total concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and some polyarenes in fouling (macrophytes) was determined for the first time in the framework of the Roshydromet observation system in Lake Baikal in 2014–2017. The concentration was determined for the coastal shallow part of the lake in the area of the former Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill (BPPM) (currently, the municipal wastewater discharge of the town of Baikal’sk) as well as for the north of the lake in the impact area of the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM). In BAM the total concentration of polyarenes in fouling is 1.4 times higher than in the area of the former mill, and in the area of BPPM the content of carcinogenic polyarenes is 2.5 times higher than in the north of the lake. The obtained characteristics of the modern level of polyarenes and PAHs in the lake macrophytes can be used as ecological criteria for improving the environmental control during the integrated monitoring of the lake.