The aim of this study was to investigate the safety of the consumption of scallops exposed to diesel pollution, so as to provide basic information for the evaluation of the effects of oil pollution on the food safety of marine shellfish. The accumulation and elimination characteristics of scallops () to diesel were explored using the semi-static dynamic test in the present study. Scallops were exposed to light (-10^#) and heavy diesel. After a certain period of time, the scallops were placed in uncontaminated seawater. The content of petroleum hydrocarbon, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polycyclic aromatic sulfur heterocycles (PASHs), as well as alkanes, in water and scallop tissue at different times was determined by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The results obtained are as follows:The content of petroleum hydrocarbon, PAHs and PASHs, as well as alkanes, in the scallop tissue was positively associated with the accumulation time and the petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations in water. Different tissues accumulated diesel to differing extents with accumulation being higher in the viscera than in the mantle and higher in the gills and other organs than in the adductor muscle. The accumulation ability of diesels in scallops was also related to the type of diesel. Under the same conditions, the scallop accumulated more heavy diesel than light diesel, while they eliminated heavy diesel more slowly than light diesel. Thus, heavy diesel pollution is more harmful to the quality and safety of shellfish and deserves more attention. When placed in uncontaminated water, the contaminated scallops could gradually eliminate petroleum hydrocarbons accumulated in the body, but the elimination was slower than the accumulation. The bioconcentration factor of alkane was lower than that of PAHs, and alkane in scallops was therefore eliminated faster than PAHs were. However, alkane is the main component of diesels. Thus, the elimination of petroleum hydrocarbon by scallops was mainly because of the elimination of alkane. The low-molecular-weight PAHs (comprising 2-3 aromatic rings) were dominant in the PAHs of contaminated scallops, and they were eliminated faster than high-molecular-weight PAHs (comprising 4-7 aromatic rings). When the contaminated scallops were placed in clean water, the petroleum hydrocarbons residue in the scallops returned to normal levels in a short time, but PAH residues (especially with four or more aromatic rings) remained for a long time. On the basis of the above results, we suggest that petroleum hydrocarbons in shellfish be monitored along with that in the water after an oil spill, and the PAHs residue also be taken into consideration. In addition, in the interest of food safety, the viscera of scallops should be discarded.