PAHs in some brands of tea

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of environmental pollutants generated from incomplete combustion of organic materials. PAHs in tea have been studied for five locally available brands. Six to seven PAHs from list of 16 priority pollutants (US EPA) were found to be present in samples of various brands of tea. Benzo[a]pyrene (2A: probable human carcinogen) was found in two samples, and naphthalene (2B: possible human carcinogen) was found in all the tea samples.     

Quantification of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Tea and Coffee Samples of Mumbai City (India) by High Performance Liquid Chromatography

This paper describes a method for quantification of sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in tea and coffee samples of Mumbai City with the help of reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography with UV-VIS detector. This method is based on liquid–liquid extraction followed by clean up with C-18 cartridge. Concentration of total PAHs in different brands of tea and coffee samples varied from 18.79 to 31.37 μg/L and from 16.47 to 18.24 μg/L, respectively. Mean concentration of total PAHs was 27.56 μg/L in tea and 17.20 μg/L in coffee. Recoveries at different concentration levels were higher than 68% in samples of tea and coffee. Detection limit was found to be low (0.0006 ng) for anthracene and highest (0.174 ng) for naphthalene with relative standard deviation between 0.4%–7%.     

Priority PAHs in orthodox black tea during manufacturing process

Orthodox black tea is obtained from fresh leaves followed by withering, rolling, fermentation and drying. The presence of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was studied in fresh leaves and at various stages of manufacturing. Benzo(a)pyrene (2A: probable human carcinogen) was found in dried tea leaves only whereas, naphthalene (2B: probable human carcinogen) was present during all the stages of manufacturing. Dry tea leaves showed higher content of total 16 PAHs (∑PAHs) about 3 and 211 times than present in withered and dried leaves, respectively. Chrysene, benzo[g,h,i]perylene, indendo[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene, dibenzo[a,h]pyrene and benzo[a]antracene were not found during manufacturing stages of tea.     

Distribution behavior and carcinogenic level of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in roadside soil at major traffic intercepts within a developing city of India

A study of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pollution in roadside soil was conducted at a developing city locations of Jalandhar (Punjab), India in winter season to ascertain the contamination levels and their distribution behavior in roadside soil. PAHs concentration level of ten locations was measured at 1, 2, and 3 m distances from roadside soil covering all the major traffic intercepts within a city. Samples were extracted in acetone and dichloromethane (1:1) using soxhlet extraction. The extracts were filtered on a silica gel micro column to remove impurities and eluate was subjected to GC-FID. The total average PAHs concentration (city average) was found to be 4.04 μg g(-1), whereas the concentration of 16 individual PAHs was found to vary between 0.008 and 28.4 μg g(-1). The average concentration of noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic PAHs in all the samples was 2.17 and 6.41 μg g(-1) (ratio 1:2.95). The concentration of five ringed PAHs was found to be 45% to 60%, whereas two ringed PAHs were found to be in the range from 0.28% to 0.56% in all most all locations. The average highest PAHs concentration for any individual location was found as 12.23 μg g(-1) at DAV Chowk at 1 m distance and minimum concentration was 0.98 μg g(-1) at Maqsuda Chowk at 1 m distance from roadside. DiB (ah) A was the individual PAHs found in highest concentration in all the intercepts ranging between 1.26 and 28 μg g(-1). At most of the city intercepts, total carcinogenic PAHs concentration was found to range from 60% to 80% in comparison to noncarcinogenic PAHs (20%-40%) at most of the intercepts. The pollution level our study was compared with other cities of India/worldwide.     

2006年秋冬两季图们市大气气溶胶中多环芳烃分布规律

大气气溶胶是目前大多数城市的首要污染物,其中的多环芳烃是对人体健康危害最大的环境污染物之一。通过图们市2006年9月、12月4个采样点的大气气溶胶样品分析,研究了大气气溶胶中多环芳烃的分布规律。采用超声波萃取法提取样品中的多环芳烃,然后对其进行旋蒸浓缩,氮气吹至1ml,用高效液相色谱进行定性和定量分析。实验结果表明,美国EPA优先控制的16种多环芳烃普遍存在于图们市区的大气气溶胶中。图们市不同时空大气气溶胶中多环芳烃的分布具有一定的规律性。     

Supercritical fluid extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from white pine (Pinus strobus) needles and its implications

A supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) method was developed for the extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from fresh and fallen pine needles. Toluene-modified CO2 was used as the extracting fluid, and the extracted PAHs were analyzed by GC-MS. Using a two-stage extraction procedure, a static extraction at 180 degrees C and a dynamic extraction at 60 degrees C, and an in-cell silica gel plug plus a post-oven silica gel column, the extraction and fractionation of PAHs can be accomplished in one step. Over a seven month period, a significant variation was observed for PAHs in urban samples, while PAHs in mountain samples were at much lower levels (by a factor of approximately 8) and showed little seasonal change. Although dry fallen needles and fresh needles contained similar amounts of PAHs, in the fallen needles the lower molecular weight PAHs were partially lost while the higher molecular weight PAHs were slightly enriched. Pollution in urban areas was found to be highly localized, and buildings and trees are believed to be important factors in the restriction of atmospheric PAHs.     

Distribution and partition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in surface water of the Pearl River Estuary, South China

Water samples were collected in the Pearl River Estuary in July 2002 and April 2003. The particulate and dissolved phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined. Total PAH concentrations in water samples were higher in April of 2003 (C (p): 4.0-39.1 ng/L or 445.1-1,089.9 ng/g; C (w): 15.9-184.2 ng/L) than in July of 2002 (C (p): 2.6-26.6 ng/L or 297.7-1,336.6 ng/g; C (w): 12.9-28.3 ng/L). It was found that 5, 6-ring PAHs enrich in the inner estuary samples and so did 3-ring PAHs in the July samples. Compositional differences in the suspended particulate matter (SPM) might be responsible for this observation. The partition coefficient (K (p)) increased with the increasing of the particular organic carbon content of suspended particles as well as the salinity of water, decreased with the increase of the total suspended particles content of samples. A linear correlation between logK (OC) and logK (OW) was found in two sampling periods. The observed values of logK (OC) exceed their predicted values derived form linear free energy relationship between logK (oc) and logK (ow), which could be attributed to the nonlinear sorption of soot-like carbons in suspended particles.     

Assessment of non-occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons through personal air sampling and urinary biomonitoring

Non-occupational inhalation and ingestion exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been studied in 8 non-smoking volunteers through personal air sampling and urinary biomonitoring. The study period was divided into 4 segments (2 days/segment), including weekdays with regular commute and weekends with limited traffic related exposures; each segment had a high or low PAH diet. Personal air samples were collected continuously from the subjects while at home, at work, and while commuting to and from work. All urine excretions were collected as individual samples during the study. In personal air samples, 28 PAHs were measured, and in urine samples 9 mono-hydroxylated metabolites (OH-PAHs) from 4 parent PAHs (naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene and pyrene) were measured. Naphthalene was found at higher concentrations in air samples collected at the subjects' residences, whereas PAHs with four or more aromatic rings were found at higher levels in samples taken while commuting. Urinary OH-PAH biomarker levels increased following reported high inhalation and/or dietary exposure. On days with a low PAH diet, the total amount of inhaled naphthalene during each 24-hour period was well correlated with the amount of excreted naphthols, as was, to a lesser extent, fluorene with its urinary metabolites. During days with a high dietary intake, only naphthalene was significantly correlated with its excreted metabolite. These findings suggest that this group of non-occupational subjects were exposed to naphthalene primarily through indoor air inhalation, and exposed to other PAHs such as pyrene mainly through ingestion.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in clams Ruditapes decussatus (Linnaeus, 1758)

The concentration of sixteen individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was measured in the clam Ruditapes decussatus whole soft tissues from several places of the Ria Formosa lagoon (Portugal). Total PAH (tPAH) concentrations were higher in the summer (August) and winter (January) than in the other months and the distribution pattern of the individual PAHs was generally dominated by the 4 aromatic ring PAHs, followed by the 2 + 3 aromatic rings PAHs. Benzo[a]anthracene and acenaphthene were the most representative PAHs of the two fractions. Principal components analysis (PCA) revealed that, in the Ria Formosa, seasonal variations are more important than spatial variations, due to changes in PAH source. These sources ranged from petrogenic to pyrolytic or a mixture of both. The origin of clam PAHs was also assessed by partial least squares (PLS) analysis using nineteen different PAH signatures, taken from the literature. It was possible to identify boat traffic, especially in the summer, as one of the most relevant PAH sources to the Ria Formosa. The influence of boat traffic was revealed by several signatures including diesel soot, oil and weathered oil and a mixture of different individual PAHs usually found in harbour sediments. Other relevant sources included combustion of organic matter such as forest fires and diverse domestic activities, occurring mainly in the summer. Most of the clams were considered safe for human consumption, except for some point samples, which presented unusually high PAH concentrations, suggesting the need for a regular survey of PAHs in clam tissues.     

Contamination, source identification, and risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in agricultural soil of Shanghai, China

The level, distribution, compositional pattern, and possible sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in agricultural soil of Shanghai were investigated. The concentrations ranged from 140.7 to 2,370.8 μg kg(?-1) for 21 PAHs and from 92.2 to 2,062.7 μg kg(?-1) for 16 priority PAHs, respectively. The higher level of PAHs was mainly distributed in the south and west of Shanghai region, and the lower concentration was found in Chongming Island. Generally, the composition pattern of PAHs was characterized with high molecular weight PAHs, the seven possible carcinogenic PAHs accounted for 4.8-50.8% of the total PAHs, and fluoranthene, pyrene, and benzo[b]fluoranthene were the most dominant components in soil samples. The correlation analysis suggested that low molecular weight PAHs and high molecular weight PAHs were originated from different sources and further corroborated that total organic carbon was a key soil property affecting the fate of persistent organic pollutants in the environment. The isomer ratios and principal component analysis indicated that PAHs in the investigated areas were derived primarily from combustion of biomass, coal, and petroleum. Compared to the soil quality standards of the Netherlands, all the target PAHs (except Ant) in most samples exceeded their target values. The Nemerow composite index based on the same soil quality standard showed that 69.4% of the soil samples were heavily polluted. The total BaP(eq) of ten Dutch target PAHs in 72% soil samples were higher than the reference total carcinogenic potency. Therefore, the agricultural soil in Shanghai is suffering from serious PAHs contamination.     

天津城郊土壤中PAHs含量特征及来源解析

以天津市郊环城四区为研究对象,系统采集了环城四区95个表层土壤样品,利用高效液相色谱仪对16种PAHs进行分析测定,结果表明,西青、东丽、津南和北辰土壤中16种PAHs的总量范围分别为62.6～1 994.9、36.1～4 074.7、20.1～2 502.5、22.1～707.7μg/kg;平均含量分别为445.8、841.8、509.5、242.5μg/kg。四区中都以高环多环芳烃为主,西青、东丽、北辰和津南高环多环芳烃分别占多环芳烃总比例的45.4%、42.2%、38.8%和38.7%。空间分析的结果表明,靠近天津市市区样点土壤中多环芳烃的含量要明显高于远离市区土壤中多环芳烃的含量。利用环数PAHs的相对丰度和比值法对天津市郊环城四区土壤中多环芳烃的污染来源进行了解析,研究区土壤监测样点的PAHs主要来自燃烧源,少部分来自石油类来源或几种污染源的共同复合累加的作用。     

Predicting bioaccumulation of PAHs in the trophic chain in the estuary region of Paranagua, Brazil

The presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds in sediment and water samples collected in the estuary area of Paranagua, southern Brazil, was investigated. There is a lot of port activity in the region. Recreational fishing is widespread; thus, there is concern about possible contamination by PAHs. The 16 priority PAHs were investigated, and only eight were found. The total concentration of PAHs ranged from 40.8 to 406.8 ng/g. High molecular weight were the most abundant, while PAHs with a low molecular weight were absent. There are suspicions that the main source of PAHs is combustion, but some uncertainties exist, and there may even be the presence of PAHs resulting from accidental spills of crude oil. Although the sediments contain PAHs, the amount is below the maximum concentrations allowed by the Brazilian environmental legislation, as well as the maximum levels at which adverse effects are observed. From the analytical results, a probable bioaccumulation was assessed in the local trophic chain using a mathematical model (Arnot and Gobas, Environ Toxicol Chem 23(10):2343?C2355, 2004). The model showed that there is a possibility of biomagnification along the food chain selected. Three fishes with high local consumption were selected, and the concentration of some PAHs could be found in those fishes.     

Distributions, sources and risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in topsoil at Ji’nan city, China

Surface soil (0-5 cm) samples from 17 sampling sites including different functional areas at Ji'nan city in Shandong Province of China were collected and analyzed for 16 EPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The total PAH concentrations were in the range from 1.31 mg kg(-1) to 254.08 mg kg(-1) (dry weight), and the average level of total PAHs was 23.25 mg kg(-1). The highest total PAHs concentrations were found in steel and iron plant at industrial areas. The total PAHs concentrations in industrial areas were markedly higher than those in other different functional areas. According to comparing total PAHs concentration in Ji'nan city to that of other urban areas, it was found that total PAHs concentrations were 6 to 137 times higher than other areas because of some specific sampling sites such as steel and iron plant and one main roadside. The results showed that PAHs in topsoil of Ji'nan city were suffered from strong pyrogenic influence, especially in industrial areas. However about 52.9% soil samples were mainly originated from both pyrogenic and petrogenic mixed sources based on Flu/Pyr ratios and Phe/Ant ratios. Furthermore, It was found that all individual PAHs except Fle were significantly correlated (P < 0.01) with LMW, HMW, total PAHs and SOM, and individual PAHs except Fle in soils were significantly correlated (P < 0.01) with each other. The nemerow composite index to assess the environmental quality showed that the soil sample of steel and iron plant in industrial areas and one main roadside were heavy pollution of PAHs, and about 47% soil sampling sites were safety, about 53% soil sampling sites were got different grades of PAHs pollution.     

Composition and source apportionment of PAHs in sediments at river mouths and channel in Kaohsiung Harbor, Taiwan

Fifty-eight sediment samples were collected in 2009 from the bottom of river mouths near Kaohsiung Harbor (Taiwan) and the harbor channel for the analyses of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Concentrations of total PAHs varied from 39 to 30,521 ng g(-1) (dry weight); samples collected from the mouths of Love River, Canon River, Jen-Gen River, and Salt River showed the highest PAHs concentrations. This indicates that the major sources of sediment PAHs come from those polluted urban rivers and the harbor channel. In samples collected from the Salt River mouth, approximately 43% of the PAHs are identified as PAHs with 2 or 3 rings. However, samples collected from other locations contain predominantly PAHs with 4 rings (32 to 42%) or 5 and 6 rings (36 to 44%). Emissions from traffic-related sources and waste incineration contribute to the majority of PAHs found in most channel and river mouth sediments. However, coal/oil combustion is the main cause of high concentrations of PAHs observed in the Salt River mouth sediments. Principal component analyses with multivariate linear regression (PCA/MLR) have been used to further quantify the source contributions, and the results show that the contributions of coal/oil combustion, traffic-related and waste incineration are 37%, 33% and 30%, respectively.     

Characterization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in fog-rain events

Atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) mainly originate from incomplete combustion or pyrolysis of materials containing carbon and hydrogen. They exist in gas and particle phases, as well as dissolved or suspended in precipitation (fog or rain). Current studies in atmospheric PAHs are predominantly focused on fog and rainwater samples. Some sampling difficulties are associated with fog samples. This study presented the first observation of the characteristics of PAHs in fog samples using a solid phase microextraction (SPME) technique. Eighteen fog samples were collected during ten fog events from March to December 2009 in the Shanghai area. PAHs were extracted by SPME and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). As the compounds were partially soluble in water, with solubility decreasing with increasing molecular weight, low molecular weight (LMW) PAH compounds were universally found in the fog water samples. Naphthalene (NaP), phenanthrene (Phe), anthracene (Ant) and fluoranthene (Flo) were dominant compounds in fog water. The total PAH concentration in fog water ranged from 0.03 to 6.67 μg L(-1) (mean of 1.06 μg L(-1)), and was much higher in winter than in summer. The concentration of PAHs in fog or rain water decreased after undergoing a pre-rain or pre-fog wash. The average concentration of PAHs was higher in fog than in rain. Diagnostic ratio analysis suggested that petroleum and combustion were the dominant contributors to PAHs in urban Shanghai. Backward trajectories were calculated to determine the origin of the air masses, showing that air masses were mostly from the northeast territory.     

The concentrations, distribution and sources of PAHs in agricultural soils and vegetables from Shunde, Guangdong, China

The concentrations, distribution and sources of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in 30 agricultural soil and 16 vegetable samples collected from subtropical Shunde area, an important manufacturing center in China. The total PAHs ranged from 33.7 to 350 μg/kg in soils, and 82 to 1,258 μg/kg in vegetables. The most abundant individual PAHs are phenanthrene, fluoranthene, chrysene, pyrene and benzo(b)fluoranthene for soil samples, and anthracene, naphthalene, phenanthrene, pyrene and chrysene for vegetable samples. Average vegetable–soil ratios of total PAHs were 2.20 for leafy vegetables and 1.27 for fruity vegetables. Total PAHs in vegetable samples are not significantly correlated to those in corresponding soil samples. Principal component analyses were conducted to distinguish samples on basis of their distribution in each town, soil type and vegetable specie. Relatively abundant soil PAHs were found in town Jun’an, Beijiao, Chencun, Lecong and Ronggui, while abundant vegetable PAHs were observed in town Jun’an, Lecong, Xingtan, Daliang and Chenchun. The highest level of total PAHs were found in vegetable soil, followed by pond sediment and “stacked soil” on pond banks. The PAHs contents in leafy vegetables are higher than those in fruity vegetables. Some PAH compound ratios suggest the PAHs derived from incomplete combustion of petroleum, coal and refuse from power generation and ceramic manufacturing, and paint spraying on furniture, as well as sewage irrigation from textile industries. Soil PAHs contents have significant logarithmic correlation with total organic carbon, which demonstrates the importance of soil organic matter as sorbent to prevent losses of PAHs.     

Soil pollution by PAHs in urban soils: a comparison of three European cities

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in samples of urban soil from three European cities: Glasgow (UK), Torino (Italy) and Ljubljana (Slovenia). Fifteen PAHs (naphthalene, acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, dibenzo[a,h]anthracene, benzo[g,h,i]perylene, indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene) were measured in urban soil samples, using harmonised sampling, sample extraction and analyte quantification methods. Although the mean concentration of each PAH in urban soils of each city showed a wide range of values, high levels of contamination were only evident in Glasgow, where the sum of concentrations of 15 PAHs was in the range 1487-51,822 microg kg(-1), cf. ranges in the other two cities were about ten-fold lower (89.5-4488 microg kg(-1)). The three predominant PAHs were phenanthrene, fluoranthene and pyrene, with the sum of these compounds about 40% of the total PAH content. These data, together with some special molecular indices based on ratios of selected PAHs, suggest pyrogenic origins, especially motor vehicle exhausts, to be the major sources of PAHs in urban soils of the three cities. The largest concentrations for PAHs were often found in sites close to the historic quarters of the cities. Overall, the different climatic conditions, the organic carbon contents of soil, and the source apportionment were the dominant factors affecting accumulation of PAHs in soil.     

Concentrations and inventories of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and organochlorine pesticides in watershed soils in the Pearl River Delta,China

The concentration levels, source, and inventories of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in 55 surface vegetable soils in the watershed of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) were analyzed and compared with those of the surface sediments in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) and northern South China Sea (SCS). The 16 priority PAHs on US EPA list range from 58 to 3,077 microg/kg (average: 315 microg/kg). The concentrations of DDTs and HCHs range from 3.58 to 831 microg/kg (average: 82.1 microg/kg) and from 0.19 to 42.3 microg/kg (average: 4.42 microg/kg). The ratios of DDT/ (DDD+DDE) are higher than 2 in majority of the soil samples, suggesting that DDT contamination still exists. The PAH ratios suggest that the source of PAHs is petroleum, and combustion of fossil fuel, biomass, and coal. The average concentrations of PAHs and the linear regression slope between PAHs and TOC for the soils and the sediments are quite similar. It was estimated that the soil mass inventories at 0-20 cm depth are 1,292 metric tons for PAHs and 356 metric tons for OCPs in the studied region. The average PAHs inventory per unit area for the soil samples investigated in PRD is about 0.86 time that of surface sediments in the Pearl River Estuary, and about 2.43 times that of surface sediments in the northern South China Sea. PAHs in the soils in PRD have similar source to those of the surface sediments in PRE. All of those may suggest that PAHs in PRE and SCS are probably mainly inputted from the soils in PRD via soil erosion and river transport.     

云南省宣威市和富源县空气和土壤中多环芳烃污染水平研究

宣威市和富源县位于我国云南省东北部,是全世界肺癌发病率最高的地区之一。当地居民在不通风的房间内燃烧烟煤做饭或取暖造成了严重的室内空气污染。研究表明,长期暴露在燃煤造成的污染物中是导致两地居民肺癌持续高发的主要原因,多环芳烃是最可疑的致病因子之一。2008年1月,分别用聚胺脂泡沫和玻璃纤维滤膜采集了当地9个点位室内、室外空气中气相和颗粒物相中的多环芳烃,同时采集了对应点位的土壤样品。通过对样品的分析,考察了当地空气和土壤中多环芳烃的污染水平、特征以及来源。结果证明,当地空气和土壤中存在严重的多环芳烃污染,室内污染显著高于室外,然而随着当地工业的发展室外污染同样不可忽视,主成分分析结合比值法证明,当地室内外多环芳烃的主要污染源来自于煤炭的燃烧。对空气颗粒物和土壤中多环芳烃浓度进行了比较,对土壤中多环芳烃的来源进行了验证。     

Occurrence of chlorinated and brominated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments in Shenzhen, South China and its relationship to urbanization

One hundred and fourteen surface sediments were collected from the Maozhou River Watershed in Shenzhen, China from December 2009 to January 2010. Three individual chlorinated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (ClPAHs), six individual brominated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (BrPAHs), and five corresponding parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined. The concentration of 9-chlorophenanthrene was the highest ranging from 0.51-289 ng g(-1) (average, 16.5 ng g(-1)). For BrPAHs, the concentration of 2-bromofluorene was the highest ranging from 0.31-266 ng g(-1) (average, 35.3 ng g(-1)). No correlation was observed between the concentrations of ClPAHs and parent PAHs in surface sediments. In addition, there was no correlation between 1-bromopyrene, 7-bromobenz(a)anthracene and 9,10-dibromoanthracene, and corresponding parent PAHs. However, a significant correlation was found between 9-bromophenanthrene and phenanthrene (p < 0.01), between 9-bromoanthracene and anthracene (p < 0.05), and between 2-bromofluorene and fluorene (p < 0.05). Six fly ash samples collected from one of the municipal domestic waste incineration plants in Shenzhen were also analyzed for source identification. The concentration of 7-bromobenz(a)anthracene was the highest, ranging from 3.21-4.08 ng g(-1). In addition, 2-bromofluorene was not detected in all the fly ash samples. No correlation was found between the concentrations of Cl-/BrPAHs and corresponding parent PAHs in fly ashes. We also examined the relationship between the levels of Cl-/BrPAHs in surface sediments and the urbanization process. Our results suggested the levels of individual Cl-/BrPAHs congeners presented a similar increasing trend with the increasing urbanization level.