Pollutant Spectrum and Bioaccumulation of BTEX and PAHs in Fish: The Role of Species Ecology in a Subtropical Lake.

Aromatic hydrocarbons are widespread aquatic pollutants, yet their distribution between sediment and fish tissues remains poorly resolved. We quantified PAHs and BTEX in sediments and fish from two Lake Kinneret sectors during two spring campaigns. The Ein Gev sector showed elevated 4-5-ring PAHs in sediments and fish, a co-occurrence compatible with shared spatial contamination patterns, although sediment-to-fish transfer was not directly evaluated. Previous work reported higher 2-3 ring PAHs and BTEX in Jordan River water than at other lake perimeters, providing contextual evidence for a possible water-associated exposure pathway, but water was not sampled here. BTEX concentrations in muscle exceeded those in gills, a pattern compatible with differences in exposure history, dietary uptake, or tissue retention, though these mechanisms were not directly tested. Several 4-5-ring PAHs in edible muscle at Ein Gev exceeded Israeli and EU guideline values. Diagnostic PAH ratios indicated pyrogenic or mixed sources in sediments and water, whereas fish tissues displayed petrogenic or mixed signatures, consistent with selective uptake and/or biotransformation. Multivariate analyses revealed site-associated contaminant fingerprints and species-dependent accumulation patterns, particularly among tilapias. Overall, BTEX and PAH distributions in sediments and fish varied among sites, species, and tissues, generating distinct contaminant fingerprints.