Oral bioavailability reveals an overestimation of the toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in atmospheric particulate matter

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in atmospheric particulate matter have adverse effects on human health, yet total PAH concentrations...     

Dependency of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations on particle size distribution in Tehran atmosphere

In this work, the airborne particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10 µm (PM₁₀) was fractionated in a six-stage high-volume cascade impactor to identify particulate size distribution in Tehran atmosphere. The study was conducted at 15 sites located in the north, south, east, west, and central parts of Tehran in 2005. Air samples were analyzed for 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by HPLC. The daily PM₁₀ concentrations at the peak of traffic in roadside areas were found to be 106–560 µg m^?3. The cumulated concentration sum of PAHs, based on 16 species, was found to have an average concentration of 380 ng m^?3. Furthermore, it was found that more than 60% of PAHs belonged to the small particulate size range, having sizes of less than 0.49 µm, some containing benzo(ghi)perylene and indeno(123cd)pyrene (high molecular weight) with average concentrations of 8 and 6 ng m^?3 and fluorene, phenanthrene, and fluoranthene (low molecular weight) with average concentrations of 14, 13, and 19 ng m^?3, respectively. In addition, the results revealed that the lighter three- and four-ring PAH compounds were the most abundant pollutants in the air collected at all the sampling sites.     

Monitoring of environmental exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: a review

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a large group of organic compounds with two or more fused aromatic rings. They have a relatively low solubility in water, but are highly lipophilic. Most of the PAHs with low vapour pressure in the air are adsorbed on particles. When dissolved in water or adsorbed on particulate matter, PAHs can undergo photodecomposition when exposed to ultraviolet light from solar radiation. In the atmosphere, PAHs can react with pollutants such as ozone, nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide, yielding diones, nitro- and dinitro-PAHs, and sulfonic acids, respectively. PAHs may also be degraded by some microorganisms in the soil. PAHs are widespread environmental contaminants resulting from incomplete combustion of organic materials. The occurrence is largely a result of anthropogenic emissions such as fossil fuel-burning, motor vehicle, waste incinerator, oil refining, coke and asphalt production, and aluminum production, etc. PAHs have received increased attention in recent years in air pollution studies because some of these compounds are highly carcinogenic or mutagenic. Eight PAHs (Car-PAHs) typically considered as possible carcinogens are: benzo(a)anthracene, chrysene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P), dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene and benzo(g,h,i)perylene. In particular, benzo(a)pyrene has been identified as being highly carcinogenic. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has promulgated 16 unsubstituted PAHs (EPA-PAH) as priority pollutants. Thus, exposure assessments of PAHs in the developing world are important. The scope of this review will be to give an overview of PAH concentrations in various environmental samples and to discuss the advantages and limitations of applying these parameters in the assessment of environmental risks in ecosystems and human health. As it well known, there is an increasing trend to use the behavior of pollutants (i.e. bioaccumulation) as well as pollution-induced biological and biochemical effects on human organisms to evaluate or predict the impact of chemicals on ecosystems. Emphasis in this review will, therefore, be placed on the use of bioaccumulation and biomarker responses in air, soil, water and food, as monitoring tools for the assessment of the risks and hazards of PAH concentrations for the ecosystem, as well as on its limitations.     

Lichens reveal air PAH fractionation in the Himalaya

This paper shows that gas/particulate phase partitioning of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can be monitored using lichens. Anthropogenic sources are responsible for the release of PAHs, which are bioaccumulated in plants at various spatial scales based on their physicochemical properties. Atmospheric PAHs are distributed both in the gaseous and particulate states. Here, a lichen species, Dermatocarpon vellereum Zschacke, has been collected at different altitudes in and around the Rudraprayag valley, located in Central Himalayan region of India, in order to study the spatial distribution of PAHs in the valley. Results show that PAH concentration ranged from 0.136 to 4.96 μg g^?1. Findings reveal that the bioaccumulation of 2- and 3-ringed PAHs was higher in high-altitude samples, whereas bioaccumulation of fluoranthene, a 4-ringed PAH, showed higher concentration in samples from localities away from town centre. 5- and 6-ring PAHs were then confined to the lower altitude at the base of the valley, thus justifying their particulate-bound nature. This is the first report showing the utility of lichen to biomonitor PAHs in the Himalayan ecosystem.     

Distribution pattern of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in particle-size fractions of coking plant soils from different depth

The concentrations of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in four size fractions (<2, 2–20, 20–200, >200 μm) in soils at different depth from a heavily contaminated crude benzol production facility of a coking plant were determined using GC–MS. Vertically, elevated total PAHs concentrations were observed in the soils at 3.0–4.5 m (layer B) and 6.0–7.5 m (layer C), relatively lower at 1.5–3.0 m (layer A) and 10.5–12.0 m (layer D). At all sampling sites, the silt (2–20 μm) contained the highest PAHs concentration (ranged from 726 to 2,711 mg/kg). Despite the substantial change in PAHs concentrations in soils with different particle sizes and lithologies, PAHs composition was similarly dominated by 2–3 ring species (86.5–98.3 %), including acenaphthene, fluorene, and phenanthrene. For the contribution of PAHs mass in each fraction to the bulk soil, the 20–200 μm size fraction had the greatest accumulation of PAHs in loamy sand layers at 1.0–7.5 m, increasing with depth; while in deeper sand layer at 10.5–12.0 m, the >200 μm size fraction showed highest percentages and contributed 81 % of total PAHs mass. For individual PAH distribution, the 2–3 ring PAHs were highly concentrated in the small size fraction (<2 and 2–20 μm); the 4–6 ring PAHs showed the highest concentrations in the 2–20 μm size fraction, increasing with depth. The distribution of PAHs was primarily determined by the sorption on soil organic matter and the characteristics of PAHs. This research should have significant contribution to PAH migration study and remediation design for PAHs-contaminated sites.     

Oyster shell reduces PAHs and particulate matter from incense burning

This is the first report showing reduction of particle matter and PAHs from incense burning by addition of oyster shell. Worshiping ancestors and gods by burning incense sticks and joss paper is a very important tradition in many Asian regions. More than 45 % of families in Taiwan burn incense twice a day. Unlike joss paper burning, most of the incense burning occurs indoors, thus creating a risk for human health. Previous reports have indeed evidenced toxicity of incense, notably due to particulate matter and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, there are few methods to reduce particle matter and PAHs from incense burning. We hypothesize that oyster shell may be used to reduce incense fumes toxicity. Indeed a large amount of unused oyster shell is discarded due to increasing seafood consumption. Here, two types of incense were made in the laboratory, and then 5–30 % of oyster shells were added to the incense to study the reduction of particle matter and PAHs. Results show that reduction of particle matter and PAH emission increased with oyster shell addition. The reduction of emission factors is ?35 % for mean particle matter, ?21 % for particle-phase PAHs, and ?37 % for benzo[a]pyrene equivalent concentration (BaP_eq), using 30 % oyster shell additive. The addition of 10 % oyster shell reduces the burning time by 8.3 min, increases the burning rate by 3.4 mg/min, and reduces particle matter by 6.4 mg/g incense, particle-phase PAHs by 0.67 μg/g incense, and BaP_eq by 0.23 μg/g incense. The reductions of particle matter, particle-phase PAHs, and BaP_eq correspond to about 640 metric tons, 67, and 23 kg, respectively, per year. Our findings will help to produce safer and cleaner incense.     

室内灰尘中多环芳烃及其衍生物的赋存与人体暴露研究进展

多环芳烃(polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,PAHs)作为典型的持久性有机污染物(persistent organic pollutants,POPs)中的重要类别,具有半挥发性、生物蓄积性、长期残留性和明显的毒性(包括致癌、致畸、致突变)等特点,因此是环境中的一类重要污染物.PAHs衍生物的赋存浓度通常比PAHs母体低,是直接作用的诱变剂和致癌剂,具有比PAHs母体更高的致癌性和致畸性,毒性作用也更为直接,近年来PAHs衍生物引起了越来越多的关注.室内灰尘作为污染物的特殊载体,研究其中的PAHs及其衍生物的赋存、来源、人体暴露风险有重要意义.本文基于当前国内外对室内灰尘中PAHs及其衍生物的研究,对室内灰尘中PAHs及其衍生物的赋存、来源及其人体暴露风险进行了系统综述,最后提出了现有研究的不足,并对室内灰尘中PAHs及其衍生物今后的研究方向进行了展望.     

Enrichment and transfer of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) through dust aerosol generation from soil to the air

● Compositional patterns of PAHs in dust aerosol vary from soil during dust generation. ● The EF of PAH in dust aerosol is affected by soil texture and soil PAH concentration. ● The sizes of dust aerosol play an important role in the enrichment of HMW-PAHs. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are major organic pollutants in soil. It is known that they are released to the atmosphere by wind via dust aerosol generation. However, it remains unclear how these pollutants are transferred through the air/soil interface. In this study, dust aerosols were generated in the laboratory using soils (sandy loam and loam) with various physicochemical properties. The PAH concentrations of these soils and their generated dust aerosol were measured, showing that the enrichment factors (EFs) of PAHs were affected by soil texture, PAH contamination level, molecular weight of PAH species and aerosol sizes. The PAHs with higher EFs (6.24–123.35 in dust PM_2.5; 7.02–47.65 in dust PM₁₀) usually had high molecular weights with more than four aromatic rings. In addition, the positive correlation between EFs of PAHs and the total OC_aerosol content of dust aerosol in different particle sizes was also statistically significant (r = 0.440, P < 0.05). This work provides insights into the relationship between atmospheric PAHs and the contaminated soils and the transfer process of PAHs through the soil-air interface.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in farmland soils around main reservoirs of Jilin Province,China: occurrence,sources and potential human health risk

Study on the occurrence, sources and potential human health risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in farmland soils around reservoirs is of great significance for the people drinking water security. In the present study, representative farmland soil samples around main reservoirs of Jilin Province, China, were investigated for 16 PAHs. The total concentrations of 16 priority PAHs in 32 farmland soil samples ranged from 602.12 to 1271.87 ng/g, with an arithmetic average of 877.23 ng/g, and the sum of seven carcinogenic PAH concentrations ranged from 30.07 to 710.02 ng/g, with a mean value of 229.04 ng/g. The 3-ring and 4-ring PAHs were major exist and account for 45.78 and 32.03%, respectively. Non-cancer and cancer risk of pollutants were calculated, and the results indicate that the complex PAHs in farmland soils were not considered to pose significant health effects. The isomer ratios Fla/(Fla + Pyr) and BaA/(BaA + Chr) show that the PAHs in soils were generally derived from biomass and coal combustion.     

Urban fractionation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from Dalian soils

This report evidences the fractionation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from urban to rural areas, and a higher contribution of coal and wood combustion in rural areas. PAHs are persistent semi-volatile organic pollutants in the environment. PAHs originate from the incompleted combustion of fossil fuel and biomass. Cities are usually considered as primary sources of PAHs. Due to different types and loads of fuel consumption in various functional areas of a city, the levels and composition profiles of PAHs are expected to be different. We, therefore, studied the mechanisms ruling PAH distributions in soils from a major Chinese city. Seventeen soil samples were collected in urban traffic areas, residential and park areas, suburban areas and rural areas of Dalian, northeastern China. PAHs were analyzed using a high-performance liquid chromatography. The composition profiles and seasonal variation of PAHs were investigated. Results show that the proportions of low-weight molecular PAHs to total PAHs increased with urban-suburban-rural gradient. This trend is explained by the “urban fractionation” of PAHs. Furthermore, the spring/autumn ratios of PAH concentrations were higher than 1. Specifically, the spring/autumn ratio was 1.79 for two ring PAHs, 1.42 for three ring PAHs, and lower than 1.20 for five and six ring PAHs. The spring/autumn ratios of phenanthrene were higher than 1 and increased with increasing distance from the urban areas. The results imply that the contribution of coal and wood combustion PAHs increases with the urban-suburban-rural gradient.     

Historical record of anthropogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a lake sediment from the southern Tibetan Plateau

High-altitude lake sediments can be used as natural archives to reconstruct the history of pollutants. In this work, the temporal distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was determined in a sediment core collected from the southern Tibetan Plateau (TP), which was dated by using the ²¹⁰Pb dating method and validated with the ¹³⁷Cs fallout peak. The concentrations of the anthropogenic PAHs (Σ₈PAH) in the sediment core ranged from 0.83 to 12 ng/g dw, and the fluxes of the Σ₈PAH were in the range of 2.1–27 g/cm²/year. The temporal variations in the concentration and input flux of anthropogenic PAHs were low with little variability before the 1950s, and then gradually increased from the 1950s to the 1980s, and an accelerated increase was observed after the early 1980s. The content of total organic carbon played an insignificant role in affecting the time trends of PAHs in the sediment core. Diagnostic concentration fractions of PAH components indicate PAHs in the lake sediment of the southern TP which are mainly from biomass burning and/or from long-range atmospheric transport.     

Biomarkers indicate mixture toxicities of fluorene and phenanthrene with endosulfan toward earthworm (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Eisenia fetida</Emphasis>)

α-Endosulfan and some polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAHs) are persistent in the environment and can reach crop products via contaminated agricultural soils. They may even be present as mixtures in the soil and induce mixture toxicity in soil organisms such as earthworms. In this study, the combined toxicities of PAHs with α-endosulfan were determined in Eisenia fetida adults using an artificial soil system. α-Endosulfan and five PAHs were tested for their acute toxicity toward E. fetida in artificial soils. Only α-endosulfan, fluorene, and phenanthrene showed acute toxicities, with LC₅₀ values of 9.7, 133.2, and 86.2 mg kg^?1, respectively. A mixture toxicity assay was conducted using α-endosulfan at LC₁₀ and fluorene or phenanthrene at LC₅₀ in the artificial soils. Upon exposure to the mixture of fluorene and α-endosulfan, earthworms were killed in increasing numbers owing to their synergistic effects, while no other mixture showed any additional toxicity toward the earthworms. Along with the acute toxicity results, the biochemical and molecular changes in the fluorene- and phenanthrene-treated earthworms with or without α-endosulfan treatment demonstrated that enhancement of glutathione S-transferase activity was dependent on the addition of PAH chemicals, and the HSP70 gene expression increased with the addition of α-endosulfan. Taken together, these findings contribute toward understanding the adverse effects of pollutants when present separately or in combination with other types of chemicals.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils around Guanting Reservoir,Beijing, China

The concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (∑ 16PAHs) were measured by gas chromatography equipped with a mass spectrometry detector (GC-MS) in 56 topsoil samples around Guanting Reservior (GTR), which is an important water source for Beijing. Low to medium levels of PAH contamination (mean=394.2±580.7 ng g^?1 dry weight (d.w.)) was evident throughout the region. In addition, localised areas of high PAH contamination near steel and cement factories were identified, with ∑ 16PAHs concentrations as high as 4110 ng/g, dry weight (d.w.). There was a significant positive correlation (r²=0.570, p<0.01) between total organic carbon content and ∑ 16PAHs concentrations. Phenanthrene was the predominant compound, accounting for 27.2% of the ∑ PAH concentration, followed by chrysene>pyrene>benzo[a]anthracene≈ benzo[b]fluoranthene≈ benzo[a]pyrene. Four-ring PAH homologues (39%) were dominant. The higher proportion of 4–6 ring homologues, molecular indices, and the spatial distribution of PAH indicated that industrial discharges, incineration of wastes and traffic discharges were the major sources of soil PAHs around the water reservoir.     

太湖胥口湾表层水和沉积物中多环芳烃的浓度水平及生态风险

多环芳烃(polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,PAHs)是环境中普遍存在的稠环类化合物,由于其对人体健康和生态环境产生较大危害,美国环保局将16种PAHs列为优先控制的污染物。PAHs也是太湖流域的主要污染物之一。作为华东地区的重要水系和水源地,研究太湖环境质量的变化对改善太湖流域水生生态系统和提高沿岸居民身体健康具有重要意义。论文研究了太湖胥口湾水域表层水和沉积物的PAHs。结果显示,表层水和沉积物的PAHs总浓度分别为7.2~83 ng·L~(-1)和66~620ng·g~(-1)干重;年均值为29 ng·L~(-1)和218 ng·g~(-1)干重;年均毒性当量浓度为2.4 ng·L~(-1)和28 ng·g~(-1)干重。沉积物中的主要污染物为荧蒽、芘和,影响毒性当量浓度的主要是苯并(a)芘和二苯并(a,h)蒽。4环PAHs在沉积物中占主要,其浓度百分比为44%~48%,而5环PAHs则占毒性当量总浓度的90%以上,说明其危害主要来自5环PAHs。PAHs特征化合物比值分析表明,胥口湾沉积物中PAHs主要来源于煤和木材燃烧,表层水大部分为燃烧和石油的混合来源。污染水平的时空变化特点为丰水期(8月)表层水PAHs浓度偏高,沉积物偏低。湖区和湖岸的PAHs浓度只在丰水期有显著差异,表层水PAHs浓度湖区高于湖岸,沉积物相反;其他时期湖区和湖岸PAHs浓度无显著差异。根据加拿大沉积物环境质量标准,胥口湾整体生态风险水平较低。从时空分布特征来看,个别生态风险较高的点主要分布在湖岸,5月平水期可能是沉积物中PAHs生态风险较高的频发期。     

Essential oil components decrease pulmonary and hepatic cells inflammation induced by air pollution particulate matter

Outdoor air pollution and fine particulate matter (PM) were recently classified as carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The exposure to airborne particulate matter also contributes to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, which are major public health concerns. Up to now, no work has evaluated the ability of essential oils as an alternative medicine to relieve the adverse health effects caused by airborne particulate matter. Here, we investigated for the first time the effects of four essential oil components, trans-anethole, estragole, eugenol and isoeugenol, on the reduction in inflammation induced by particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter below 2.5 μm (PM_2.5), in human bronchial epithelial (BEAS-2B) and human liver carcinoma (HepG2) cell lines. Anethole is a flavor component of anise and fennel, estragole is occurring in basil, eugenol occurs in clove bud oil and isoeugenol occurs in ylang-ylang. Essential oil components were tested either as free or hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin-encapsulated forms. Control experiments showed that particulate matter (PM_2.5) induced inflammation by secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8. Our results show that the addition of either free or encapsulated essential oil components to particulate matter exposed cells decreased up to 96 % the cytokine IL-6 level, and by up to 87 % the cytokine IL-8 level. Overall our findings evidence for the first time that natural essential oil components counteract the inflammatory effects of particulate matter and that encapsulation in cyclodextrins preserved their properties.     

长江三角洲河网地区典型城镇街尘中多环芳烃的污染特征

街尘是一种重要的环境介质,其携带的污染物在城镇化过程中对河网地区的水环境构成了一定的威胁.为初步探讨长江三角洲河网地区典型街尘中多环芳烃(PAHs)的污染特征,以杭嘉湖平原河网地区饮用水水源河流上游典型小城镇的街尘为研究对象,对工业区、交通干道、旧居区、新居区和商业区5种土地利用类型的15个采样点进行街尘样品采集和粒径分级,测试街尘的密度、有机质含量以及16种U.S.EPA优控PAHs含量等指标.结果表明,粒径为<63、63～125、125～250和250～900μm街尘中总多环芳烃(∑PAHs)的平均含量分别为7261、5835、4660和2909μg·kg-1,粒径越小,PAHs含量越高,其生态风险越大.不同土地利用类型的街尘中PAHs的含量顺序依次为:工业区>交通干道>旧居区>新居区>商业区.街尘中PAHs和有机质含量存在显著正相关关系,且街尘粒径越小,有机质和PAHs的相关性越强.源解析结果表明,街尘中的PAHs多为燃烧源.     

Ecological risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons found in coastal sediments along the northern shores of the Bohai Sea (China)

The total concentrations of 16 United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA)-listed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) found in coastal and estuarine sediments along the northern shores of the Bohai and Yellow Seas, China, at any study location varied from 0.236 to 8.34 nM g^?1 dry weight (dw). For a given PAH, concentrations varied by one to two orders of magnitude. Ecological risk assessments based on biota–sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs) indicated that the potential ecological hazard of PAHs in the sediments was limited. The average total sediment PAH concentrations were less than the effects range low, indicating that PAHs currently present in the sediments were not harmful to aquatic organisms. The estimated PAH concentration in the aquatic organisms was 0.223 nM g^?1 and posed a limited threat to human health via biological concentration from sediment to harvest of the sea. Assuming no additional PAH inputs, 99% of the 16 PAH molecules currently present in the sediments would be degraded in 40 years.     

Spatial distribution and temporal trends of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water and sediment from Songhua River, China

The spatial and temporal distributions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Songhua River, Harbin, China, were investigated. Seventy-seven samples, 42 water and 35 sediment samples, were collected in April and October of 2007 and January of 2008. The concentrations of total PAHs in water ranged from 163.54 to 2,746.25 ng/L with the average value of 934.62 ng/L, which were predominated by 2- and 3-ring PAHs. The concentrations of total 16 PAHs in sediment ranged from 68.25 to 654.15 ng/g dw with the average value of 234.15 ng/g dw, which were predominated by 4-, 5- and 6-ring PAHs. Statistical analysis of the PAH concentrations shown that the highest concentrations of the total PAHs were found during rainy season (October of 2007) and the lowest during snowy season (January of 2008). Ratios of specific PAH compounds, including fluoranthene/(fluoranthene + pyrene) (Flu/(Flu + Pyr)) and phenanthrene/(phenanthrene + anthracene) (An/(Ant + PhA)), were calculated to evaluate the possible sources of PAH contaminations. These ratios reflected pyrolytic inputs of PAHs in Songhua River water and a mixed pattern of pyrolytic and petrogenic inputs of PAHs in the Songhua River sediments. Ecotoxicological risk levels calculated for PAHs suggested that there were individual PAHs, which can less frequently cause biological impairment in some samples, but no samples had constituents that may frequently cause biological impairment. Total toxic benzo[a]pyrene equivalent of ΣcPAHs varied from 10.03 to 29.7 ng/g dw and from 0.36 to 1.92 ng/g dw for total toxic tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalent. The level of PAHs indicated a low toxicological risk to this area.     

Distribution of Airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in the area of Thessaloniki,Greece

The aim of this research work is to investigate the temporal and regional behaviour of the PAH in the Thessaloniki's area. During a period of six months, airborne particulate matter was collected twice a week and PAH were determined by HPLC. Profiles as well as concentrations of selected cancerogenic PAH differ in some cases from area to area and have characteristic, temporal changes of concentration.     

Microbial functional genes reveal selection of microbial community by PAHs in polluted soils

This report shows an increase of PAH-related microbial functional genes with PAH concentration in soils. Adaptation of microbial communities to organic pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is a crucial issue. However, there is little knowledge on mechanisms ruling microbial community selection. Here, we studied microbial functional genes in soils contaminated by PAHs. We used GeoChip, an advanced functional gene array for gene analysis. Soil PAH concentrations were measured and microbial functional genes were categorized. PAH-related microbial functional genes, bph, nah, nidA, phd, dfb, and qor, were quantitatively expressed. Total microbial functional genes and PAH-related microbial functional genes were compared with PAH concentration by cluster analysis and curve-fitting analysis. We found that the average abundance of PAH-related microbial functional genes increased from 0.13 to 0.33, whereas that of total microbial functional genes decreased from 0.22 to 0.10 when PAHs concentration increased from 1.01 to 164.28 mg kg^?1. It was also found that the classification of microbial community structure characteristics based on PAH-related microbial functional genes was closely similar to the classification based on PAHs concentration. Findings reveal that PAH stress promotes the dominance of PAH-related microbial communities.