Interaction of alkylated phenanthrenes and naphthalenes with leaf tissue of Spartina alterniflora and Avicennia germinans

Interactions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in crude oil with leaf plant tissues from Spartina alterniflora and Avicennia germinans were measured in laboratory experiments. Experiments were performed with both PAHs in air and water in contact with the leaf tissues. For air contact, PAH concentrations were measured over time using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and using 2-laser confocal microscopy which can visually image phenanthrenes in leaf tissue. For PAHs in the water phase, concentrations in the water and plant tissues were measured simultaneously using GC-MS.