Coexistence of marine aquaculture, natural harvesting and boat traffic by the coast– PAC pollution risks and solutions (COMPAQT)

The aim of the project is to investigate the impact of polluting substances from boat traffic on sea-based farms of blue mussels, oysters and algae.

The focus is on polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAC:s) since these compose the most toxic fraction of pollutants in petroleum based fuel, and will be present in both exhaust gases and in fuel leakage.

At present the analysis of PACs in environmental monitoring or in food control is limited to a few PAHs – a subgroup of PAC. The 16 PAH are generally included in environmental monitoring and 4 PAH in food control.

These PAHs have been selected more or less randomly, and the risk is great that we are overlooking PACs more toxic to the environment and to human health than the 16 PAHs.In the project a wide range of PACs will be analyzed in emissions from ships and leisure boats, and be compared with the PACs accumulated in wild and cultivated blue mussels, oysters and algae.

The field studies will be carried out at different times of the year to capture the impact of leisure boats.

Uptake and accumulation of a selection of PACs will be investigated in experimental studies on relevant organisms.To link the ecotoxicological studies to coastal zone planning, coastal waters around Lysekil will be used as a case study area from which stakeholders representing different sectors, e.g. shipping, leisure boats and sea-based aquaculture, will be identified and invited to address conflicts and solutions to sustainable coexistence.