Abstract
Seawater samples collected at three depths from 68 stations along the Northern Spanish coast were analysed for dissolved/dispersed petroleum aromatic hydrocarbons by UV-fluorescence and for 25 individual compounds by GC–MS. Sampling was performed in December 2002, just after the Prestige oil spill, and in February–March and September 2003. Higher concentrations of total aromatic hydrocarbons were found at all depths in the samples collected during December 2002 off the Galicia coast, with levels ranging between 0.19 and 28.8 μg/L eq. oil (0.1–4.8 μg/L chrysene eq.). These values decreased in the following cruises, till