ORIGINAL PAPER Distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in commonly consumed seafood from coastal areas of Bangladesh and associated human health implications Md. Habibullah-Al-Mamun . Md. Kawser Ahmed . Md. Saiful Islam . Masahiro Tokumura . Shigeki Masunaga Received: 29 March 2018 / Accepted: 29 September 2018 Ó Springer Nature B.V. 2018 Abstract Levels, distribution, possible sources and potential risks of 16 USEPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated comprehensively in frequently consumed seafood species collected from the coastal areas of Bangladesh. Samples were collected in winter and summer, 2015. The total concentration of PAHs ( P PAHs) in the examined seafood was 184.5–2806.6 ng/g wet weight (ww) in winter and 117.9–4216.8 ng/g ww in summer, respectively. The levels of P PAHs were comparable to or higher than those reported from other coastal areas. Seasonal variation was not significant for the majority of the monitored PAHs. Spatial distribution revealed that the seafood collected from areas with recent urbanization and industrialization (Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and Sundarbans) was more contaminated with PAHs than those from the unindustrialized area (Meghna Estuary). Low-molecular-weight isomers dominated the PAH composition. Molecular ratios suggested the abundance of mixed sources of PAHs in the Bangladeshi coastal areas with a slight imposition toward the petrogenic origin. A preliminary evaluation of human health risk indicated that the dietary PAH exposure from consumption of Bangladeshi seafood would certainly induce adverse health effects. This finding suggests the need to enhance risk management regarding seafood consumption through public advi- sory in Bangladesh. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-018-0202-0) con- tains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Md. Habibullah-Al-Mamun (&) Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University, 79-9 Tokiwadai Hodogaya, Yokohama, Kanagawa 240-8501, Japan e-mail: almamunhabib@du.ac.bd; habibullah-al-sj@ynu.jp Md. Habibullah-Al-Mamun Department of Fisheries, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh Md. K. Ahmed Department of Oceanography, Earth and Environmental Science Faculty, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh Md. S. Islam Department of Soil Science, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Dumki, Patuakhali 8602, Bangladesh M. Tokumura Graduate School of Nutritional and Environmental Science, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan M. Tokumura Á S. Masunaga Faculty of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University, 79-9 Tokiwadai Hodogaya, Yokohama, Kanagawa 240-8501, Japan 123 Environ Geochem Health https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-018-0202-0