This study endeavored to determine concentration and risk assessment of PAHs in
bivalves collected from nine stations along Egyptian Mediterranean coast. The results
revealed that the concentration of total n-alkanes in the mussels tissues collected from
different stations along Mediterranean coast varies from 0.42 to 6.76 µg/g dry weight at
El-Mex and Western Harbor, respectively, and the concentration of total PAH's in the
mussels tissues varies in the range of 1.74 to 13.12 µg/g dry weight at Rosetta and AbuQir
Bay, respectively. The mussels collected from Port Said and Abu-Qir were generally
the most polluted area with PAHs and the area of Rosetta and Damietta were the least
polluted when compared to other studied areas. Adverse health effects of noncarcinogenic
and carcinogenic PAHs are not expected to occur from the consumption of
the investigated mussels for all stations along the Egyptian Mediterranean Coast except
the BaP, which considered as a contaminant of potential concern and that it may pose
carcinogenic health effects.