Todos os Santos Bay, located in Recôncavo Bahiano, is the largest navigable bay of Brazil. Its seafront has about 450 km and is covered by extensive mangroves and recent sediments. This study was undertaken to evaluate the possibility of chronic environmental impact induced by 50 years of exposure to the local petroleum industry. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) from pyrolitic sources were identified and quantified in the total concentration range 1 - 408.629 ng.g-1. The highest contents of PAHs were found in the harbors and transportation areas. Phe/An and An/(An+Phe) molecular indices were used to identify the PAH contamination source in the studied sampling stations. It was found that the pyrolitics PAHs concentrations were comparable with those of contaminated zones (refinery and extraction areas). In general, the Todos os Santos Bay sampling sites were contaminated, due to the petroleum trade on an individual scale along the Bay, and also waste oils from motorized boats.
hydrocarbons; pyrolitics; sediments; contamination; Todos os Santos Bay
