Distribution characteristics of lipophilic marine phycotoxins in the sediment: A case study in Jiaozhou Bay, China

Abstract Marine sediments serve as a sink for environmental pollutants, such as lipophilic marine phycotoxins (LMPs). To reveal the fate of LMPs, we studied their distribution characteristics in sediments. From January 2016 to August 2017, we sampled surface sediments from Jiaozhou Bay (JZB) of the North Yellow Sea, and their solid-phase extracts were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Three LMPs viz. okadaic acid (OA), dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX1), and pectentoxin-2 (PTX2) were predominant in the sediments. Also, PTX2 distribution was more extensive in the area, while OA and DTX1 were more concentrated. Having the same toxigenic algae origin, the spatial distribution of OA, DTX1, and PTX2 in the sediments was similar.