Bioaccumulation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in simping scallops (Placuna placenta) from the Waters of Socah and Ujungpangkah, East Java

The study aimed to investigate the bioaccumulation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Placuna placenta scallops from Socah and Ujungpangkah waters in East Java, Indonesia. The research involved sampling from Station 1 at Ujungpangkah and Station 2 at Socah waters. Water, sediment, and Simping scallops were sampled twice, in December 2018 and January 2019. The analysis method used Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The analysis results indicated that the total PAHs concentration was higher in Ujungpangkah waters compared to Socah waters. In line with the result of sediment samples, five types of compounds naphthalene, acenaphthene, benzo[ghi]perylene, 2-methylnaphthalene, and 1-methylnaphthalene were found to be more abundant in Ujungpangkah, while Socah waters exhibited the highest concentration of four compounds naphthalene, acenaphthene, 1- methylnaphthalene, and 2-methylnaphthalene. When examining the scallop samples, the highest compound concentrations detected at both locations matched those in the water samples. The Bioconcentration Factor (BCF) value, representing the accumulation of PAHs in Placuna placenta scallops, was higher when obtained from the water than the sediment. In summary, this study revealed varying PAH levels between the two sampling locations, with Ujungpangkah exhibiting higher concentrations than Socah. The results also demonstrated the ability of Placuna placenta scallops to accumulate PAHs from the surrounding water, highlighting their role as bioindicators of environmental contamination.