Accumulation Dynamics of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Lake Baikal Bottom Biocenoses Assessed from Biogeochemical Monitoring Data

Abstract

The results of long-term biogeochemical monitoring of Lake Baikal are presented. The accumulation is studied of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in bottom sediments and macrozoobenthos that were synchronously sampled at the same stations. The stations are located in the areas where anthropogenic impact on the lake is high: in the area of the former Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill (BPPM), in the footprint of the BAM railway in the north of the lake and in the Selenga River delta front as well as in the zones of coastal fouling in the area of BPPM. It is found that variations in the concentration of PAHs in macrozoobenthos do not directly depend on those in the sediments. It is revealed that the maximum concentration of benzo[a]pyrene in the area of the former BPPM is almost by eight times higher than in the other areas of the lake; shallow-water macrophytes accumulate more polyarenes than deep-water macrozoobenthos.