Do lagoon area sediments act as traps for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons?

The coastal lagoons are vulnerable systems, located between the land and the sea, enriched by both marine and continental inputs and are among the most productive aquatic ecosystems. The purpose of this work is to understand the influence of the lagoon area sediments on the behaviour of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, through the adsorption coefficient determination. In fact, the sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is an important process because it governs the fate, transport, bioavailability and toxicity of these compounds in sediments. It has been observed that the adsorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a transitional system is the outcome of different factors, such as their sources and physicochemical properties, salinity and sediment composition, hydrology and environmental conditions. The results showed that transitional areas contribute to the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon accumulation in the sediment turning it into a trap. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.