Keywords: 
• heavy metal /
• PAHs /
• marine organisms /
• bioaccumulation /
• dietary risk /
• Yuwai Fishing Ground

Abstract: The concentrations of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the marine organisms (including fish, cephalopod and crustacean) collected from the Yuwai Fishing Ground in the Eastern China Sea during February 2018 were investigated, to specify the bioaccumulation potentials of the heavy metals and PAHs in the analyzed organisms and dietary risk via these seafood consumption. Furthermore, combined with nitrogen stable isotope techniques, the nutrient-level transfer characteristics of heavy metals and PAHs in the collected organisms were reported and discussed. The results showed that the average concentrations of heavy metals in the organisms were in a decreasing order of Cu, Pb, Cr, As and Cd. According to the criteria for food safety of China, the concentrations of Cu, Cd and Cr fell in the acceptable ranges, while the concentrations of Pb and As exceeded the safety guidelines for food significantly. The concentrations of Cu and Pb in the fishery organisms were found to be higher than those of the organisms in other parts of the world. The average concentration of ∑PAHs was 283 ng·g^-1dw, with the low-ring PAHs (2-3 rings) accounting for a large proportion. The main contributing PAH congener was naphthalene (NAP), which was generally at a lower pollution level. The bioaccumulation potentials of heavy metals in these marine organisms were higher than those of PAHs. However, the results of risk assessment showed that heavy metals and PAHs would not pose significant risks to consumers. Generally, the concentrations of Cu and Cd decreased with increasing of trophic levels, but the nutrient transfer characteristics of Pb, Cr, As and PAHs were unclear. The nutrient transfer characteristics of the pollutants in the whole marine food chain warrant further study.