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.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in some grounded coffee brands

Potentially toxic 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in four brands of grounded coffee. Four to 13 PAHs were detected. Concentrations of total PAHs in different brands of coffee samples were in the range of 831.7–1,589.7 μg/kg. Benzo[a]pyrene (2A: probable human carcinogen) was found in Nescafe Premium whereas naphthalene (2B: possible human carcinogen) was found in all the samples of coffee.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons study and toxic equivalency factor (TEFs) in Tehran, IRAN

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are toxic pollutants released by various urban combustion sources. Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is a representative member of the class of PAHs. Health risk assessment associated with inhalatory PAHs uptake is often estimated on the basis of the BaP concentrations in air. Atmospheric particulate PAHs concentrations were measured at five locations in Tehran, Iran. Sixteen PAHs were extracted from the airborne particles and analyzed by HPLC. Total PAHs concentrations (16 compounds) at five station Arjanteen, Enghelab, Azadi, Bahman, Haft Houz were respectively, 70.2, 96.5, 130, 79.1, 44.1 ng/m(3). The information obtain from the present study indicated that mean of human carcinogens are: benzo[a]antheracene (0.17-4.76 ng/m(3)), chrysene (1.74-3.62 ng/m(3)), benzo[b]fluoranthene (0-5.25 ng/m(3)), benzo[k]fluoranthene (0.32-1.72 ng/m(3)), benzo[a]pyrene (1.41-3.82 ng/m(3)), dibenzo[a,h]anthracene (0.33-2.13 ng/m(3)), and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (0.25-11.08 ng/m(3)). The development and the establishment of a toxicity equivalency factor (TEF) are used in the assessment of mixtures containing PAHs. The contribution of the carcinogenic potency of BaP alone is in the range of 49.6-76.3% of the total carcinogenic activity. The annual number of lung cancer cases (persons per million) among Tehran residents (population = 10 millions) attributable to these carcinogenic PAHs compounds in 2005 was estimated at 58 persons per million. In Tehran urban areas vehicular emission are the primary contributor to PAHs concentrations, with additional local contributors like industrials emissions.     

Analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the atmospheric particulate: focused microwaves for a faster extraction method

In this paper, improvements obtained by using focused microwaves for extraction, in the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) adsorbed on particulate matter, are discussed. The method was tested on the following PAHs, which are considered to be among the most harmful with regard to carcinogenicity: benzo[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, dibenzo[a,h]anthracene. The extraction of PAHs and concentration of the sample can be performed in 3 h with a recovery of at least 70% and a maximum standard deviation of 4%. These steps are followed by clean-up on a SPE (solid-phase extraction) cartridge and analysis by GC-MS. Real samples collected in the urban area of Bari were analysed according to the proposed procedure.     

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.     

Distribution and source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the surface soil along main transportation routes in Jiaxing City, China

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (16 EPA-PAHs) in urban surface soil from Jiaxing City were determined using HPLC. The total concentration of 16 EPA-PAHs was detected from 18.73 to 441.34 pg/g. Individual PAH occupation analysis demonstrates that four-ring PAHs comprise as much as 44.16% and were prevalent in the composition of PAH pollutants. The other components were two-ring PAHs (7.36%), three-ring PAHs (17.28%), five-ring PAHs (16.16%), and six-ring PAHs (15.04%). Source analysis on the characteristic ratios of anthracene(Ane)/[Ane+phenanthrene(Phe)], fluoranthene(Fla)/[Fla+pyrene(Pyr)], and benzo[a]pyrene(Bap)/benzo[g,h,i]perylene(Bgp) reveals that PAH pollutants originated mainly from coal combustion, but vehicular emission as a source was not negligible. All PAHs discussed in the paper have similar source in most sampling sites. The spatial distributions of pollution sources were closely related to geographic location, geographic condition, and living habit of indigenes. A linear relationship between 2-3-ring PAHs, 4-6-ring PAHs, SOM, and ∑PAHs were investigated and significant correlativity were expatiated lastly. It revealed that coefficient between 2-3-ring PAHs and ∑PAHs is 0.56, between 4-6-ring PAHs and ∑PAHs is 0.99, between SOM and ∑PAHs is 0.82.     

广东省南海市主干道气溶胶中多环芳烃(PAHs)的研究

气溶胶采样点位于广东省南海市桂江路边缘及两侧 ,采集时间为 2 4 h,连续采集三天。使用仪器为国产大体积采样器。同时在公园内设点采样 ,以作背景研究。样品经超声波抽提和层析柱分离得到正构烷烃、芳烃 (AHs)和极性组分等三种有机组分。对 PAHs进行 GC MS分析 ,气溶胶中具有较高含量的芴、菲、蒽、荧蒽、芘、苯并 [a]蒽、、苯并 [b]荧蒽、苯并 [k]荧蒽、苯并 [a]芘、茚并 [1 ,2 ,3-cd]芘、二苯并 [a,h]蒽、苯并 [g,h,i]等。通过 TSP研究认为 ,主干道的机动车排放和扬尘是气溶胶的主要来源 ,气候改变也是 TSP变化的另一重要因素。     

焦化废水中多环芳烃的成分谱及污染特征

液-液萃取-高效液相色谱法分析了焦化废水中EPA优先控制的16种多环芳烃含量,总结出其成分谱及污染特征。结果表明:16种多环芳烃在焦化废水中浓度差异较大,主要以在水中溶解度较大的萘、苊、芴、菲、荧蒽、芘为主。其中萘对多环芳烃总量的贡献最大,占总量的36.70%~86.78%。焦化企业排放废水中6种多环芳烃的总量无超标现象,苯并[a]芘单体超标较普遍。     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with molecular weight 302 in PM 2.5 at two industrial sites in South China

Daytime and nighttime PM(2.5) samples were collected between August 5 and 16, 2009 and between January 24 and February 4, 2010 in an industrial complex site (site A) and an electronic waste recycling site (site B) to determine the seasonal and diurnal variations of 19 individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with molecular weight 302 (MW302) including four highly carcinogenic dibenzopyrene (DBP) isomers dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DBalP), dibenzo[a,e]pyrene (DBaeP), dibenzo[a,i]pyrene (DBaiP), and dibenzo[a,h]pyrene (DBahP). This is the first report on DBP isomers in air particles from South China. The total concentration of PAH MW302 isomers ranged from 1.65 to 3.60 ng m(-3) in summer and 3.82 to 9.81 ng m(-3) in winter. The strongest peaks in the chromatograms of the MW302 isomers were naphtha[2,1-a]pyrene (N21aP), dibenzo[j,l]fluoranthene (DBjlF), naphtha[1,2-b]fluoranthene (N12bF), naphtha[1,2-k]fluoranthene (N12kF) and dibenzo[a,e]fluoranthene (DBaeF), constituting 52.0 to 55.4% of the total MW302 isomers. All the MW302 isomers showed notable seasonal variations. Most of the MW302 isomers in site B showed distinctive diurnal variations with higher concentrations occurring in the night. Taking into account both concentration and potency equivalence factors (PEFs), the strongest carcinogen in the analyzed samples was DBaiP, and the ratios of sum carcinogenic potency of four highly carcinogenic DBP isomers to benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) was about 0.94 in winter to 1.89 in summer, indicating the importance of DBP isomers for the risk assessment. Health risk assessment indicated that on average, 1 in 100 000 residents in the two industrial sites may have an increased risk of cancer due to PAH exposure.     

隧道路面沥青摊铺过程空气中TSP和多环芳烃污染研究

分析了隧道沥青摊铺过程环境空气中的TSP及多环芳烃质量浓度。TSP用膜法,中流量采样器采样15 min,重量法分析;超声波萃取,高效液相色法分析多环芳烃。结果表明,摊铺机周围空气中TSP超过8 mg/m3,道路空气中TSP超过3 mg/m3;环境空气中苊烯等12种多环芳烃均有检出,苊烯和艹屈质量浓度较高,苯并[a]芘和二苯并[a,h]蒽质量浓度较低。苯并[a]蒽、苯并[a]芘和二苯并[a,h]蒽超标,对人体健康危害较大。建议加强相关行业PAHs的排放水平及其健康风险研究,制定相关限值标准和沥青摊铺过程环境空气的沥青烟监测方法标准。     

Determination of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Rougan, a Traditional Chinese Barbecued Food, by Capillary Gas Chromatography

Several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including those which are carcinogenic, have been detected in rougan, a traditional Chinese barbecued pork dish. The food samples were cleaned up by caustic digestion, solvent extraction, liquid-liquid partition, and column chromatography. The determination was carried out using capillary gas-chromatography with a flame ionization detector. A 25-m HP-1 capillary column was used. Fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene and benzo[k]fluoranthene were detected in three of the five samples within the range of 3-17 ng/g. Fluoranthene and pyrene were detected in only two of the samples at similar levels. Two potent carcinogenic compounds, benzo[a]pyrene and benzo[b,j,k]fluoranthene, were not detected in any of the samples. No detectable PAHs have been found in meat cooked without the direct contact of food with flame and smoke. In barbecuing over an open charcoal fire, animal fat and juices dripping onto the open fire probably enhanced the formation of PAHs.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments from drinking water sources of Taihu Lake, China: sources, partitioning and toxicological risk

Sources, partitioning and toxicological risk of 15 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface sediments from drinking water sources of Taihu Lake, with an area of 2428 km(2) located in the most developed and populated area of China, were studied, and the results were compared with those in other lakes of China and the USA. Concentrations of the 15 PAHs in sediments ranged from 436.6 to 1334.9 ng g(-1) (dw). Gasoline combustion, coal combustion, diesel combustion from shipping and spillage of petroleum were apportioned to be the main sources of PAHs in this area by principal component analysis, which contributed 35.19%, 26.43%, 25.41% and 12.97% to the PAH sources estimated by further multiple linear regression. Levels of PAHs in sediments were negatively correlated with contents of clay and fine silt (<16 μm), while positively with contents of medium silt, coarse silt and sand (>16 μm). Humin with size larger than 16 μm contained the largest part of the burden of PAHs in sediments, but the specific partitioning domain (bound humic acid, lipid or insoluble residue) depended on properties of organic matter reflected by optical absorbance at 465 and 665 nm. Total toxic benzo[a]pyrene equivalent (TEQ(carc)) of the carcinogenic PAHs in sediments varied from 31.8 to 209.3 ngTEQ(carc) g(-1). Benzo[a]pyrene and dibenzo[a,h]anthracene contributed 45.36 and 25.31% to total TEQ(carc), posing high toxicological risk to this area.     

Occurrence of dissolved PAHs in the Jinsha River (Panzhihua)--upper reaches of the Yangtze River,Southwest China

16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in water samples from the Jinsha River (Panzhihua part), Southwest China. Total dissolved PAH concentrations varied from 21.89 microg l(-1) to 382.8 microg l(-1). It was found that the concentration of PAHs decreased along the flow direction due to the higher density distribution of coal chemical industry in the upstream of our study rivers. The pollution levels in our study area are significantly higher than previously reported values in other waters both in China and other countries. The predominance of benzo[k]fluoranthene and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene was clearly observed in all water samples. On average these two compounds accounted for 98.3% of the total dissolved PAH concentration in water. The results showed the positive correlations among total dissolved PAHs, benzo[k]fluoranthene and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, which suggested that these two predominant PAHs have similar source and environmental behaviors in our study area. When compared with the survey results of organic micropollutants two decades ago, it was found that hydrocarbon pollution both predominated and even increased with the development of coal chemical industry in this area during the past 20 years. The results therefore provide important information on the current contamination status of a key industrial city in China, and points to the need for urgent action to investigate the relationship between the PAH composition and concentration in water from the Jinsha River and the wastewater discharge from coal chemical industry, and to identify the source, transport pathway and fate of PAHs in the area. It should then be necessary to adopt appropriate and instant measures to control the pollution around this area.     

Persistent organic pollutants in European background air: derivation of temporal and latitudinal trends

Data are presented for polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyls ethers (PBDEs) and selected organochlorine compounds (OCs) in passive air samplers (PAS) along a rural/remote latitudinal transect from southern UK to northern Norway during 2002-2004. This study is part of an ongoing campaign, using semi-permeable membrane devices (SPMDs) as PAS over two year intervals since 1994. Data for PCBs, selected OCs and PBDEs are compared with that from previous campaigns. Absolute sequestered amounts of selected PCB congeners have decreased in a first order fashion between 1994-2004, with an average atmospheric clearance rate of 4.1 +/- 0.6 years and continue to fractionate with latitude. HCB has also declined between 1998-2004, with a clearance rate of 6 +/- 2.4 years. Data on DDT and its breakdown products indicate little fresh release in Europe. Comparison of PBDEs in 2000-02 and 2002-04 indicates site differences, generally with increases at UK sites and decreases in Norway. BDE-28, 47 and 49 decreased with increasing latitude (p < 0.04), while the other congeners did not show any significant latitudinal dependence. Transect data are presented for PAHs the first time. Three- and 4-ringed compounds dominated the mixture present in the SPMD. The PAH composition of the SPMDs at site 3 was compared to the average composition taken by active sampling at the same site. SPMD performance for sampling PAHs leaves many uncertainties, but they can be successfully used to semiquantitatively detect PAHs in the atmosphere. Fluorene and phenanthrene increased with latitude (p > 0.05), while 1-methylphenanthere, fluoranthene, benzo[b]fluoranthene and indeno[123-cd]pyrene decreased. Results are discussed in terms of sources, long-range atmospheric transport, global fractionation and clearance processes.     

Sedimentary record of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a sediment core from a maar lake, Northeast China: evidence in historical atmospheric deposition

A maar lake is an excellent ecosystem to study the atmospheric deposition of pollutants, as its contaminants are primarily by atmospheric deposition. In this study, a sediment core from Sihailongwan Maar Lake, Northeast China, was collected and the historical atmospherically deposited polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed. The concentrations of TPAHs (the sum of the US EPA proposed 16 priority PAHs, excluding naphthalene and pyrene) ranged from 473.9 to 2289 ng g(-1) with a slow increasing stage in the deeper sediments and a sharp increasing stage in the upper sediments. The input rate of TPAHs, especially that of PAH(9) (the sum of fluoranthene, benzo(a)anthracene, chrysene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene, indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene, dibenzo(ah)anthrathene, and benzo(ghi)perylene), correlated well to the Chinese historical socioeconomic data. This indicates that sediment PAHs were mainly derived from human activities and PAH(9) can be regarded as a better indicator of the local socioeconomic development. Source identification suggested that PAHs were originated primarily from mixed sources (e.g., coal and biomass burning and petroleum combustion), except for perylene which was mostly of diagenetic origin. In addition, the down-core PAHs profile clearly illustrated that PAHs sources in Northeast China experienced a transformation from low- and moderate temperature to high-temperature combustion processes, especially after the late 1980s. Additionally, an ecological risk assessment using two redefined biological thresholds (TEQ(ERL) and TEQ(ERM)) indicated that most of the PAHs measured in the present sediment core would not cause an immediate toxic effect; only FLU and PHEN are a potential source of concern for biological impairment.     

Non-occupational exposure to silica dust in vicinity of slate pencil industry, India

Biomonitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the leaves of Calotropis gigantea R.Br. were performed at seven sites in the surrounding areas of a Thermal Power Plant (TPP), using the gas chromatography and mass spectrometry technique. The primary objective of the study was to monitor the degree of PAHs load in the nearby sites around TPP compared to distant sites. Total PAH (SigmaPAH) concentrations in the leaves ranged from 372.18 (at control site 7) to 4362.35 ng g(-1) d.w. (at highest polluted site 4). The concentration factors ranged from 2.65 to 11.72 for the sites located at 1 km to the point source and 1.0 to 7.08 for distant sites. The share of carcinogenic PAHs to the total PAHs differed with the site, ranging from 10.76% to 26.92%. The sites located closer to TPP have shown higher concentrations of medium and high molecular weight PAHs, which decreased gradually with the distance from the source. The total PAH burden at control site was dominated by the low and medium molecular weight PAHs compounds viz., naphthalene, acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, pyrene, chrysene, coronene., whilst at other sites medium and high PAHs viz., fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo (a) anthracene, chrysene, benzo (b) fluoranthene, benzo (e) pyrene and coronene showed the highest values. These results support the biomonitoring ability of Calotropis gigantea R.Br. leaves to monitor PAHs contamination.     

Seasonal variation for the ratio of BaP to BeP at different sites in Great Xiamen Bay

From March 2008 to February 2009, PM(10) samples were collected and analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at eight sampling sites in Great Xiamen Bay, China. Analyses of the seasonal and spatial variations of these compounds revealed the following results. Significantly high levels of PAHs were found in the winter compared to the summer, sometimes exceeding 100 ng m(-3), and the spatial variations were influenced most by the sampling site surroundings. Composition profiles of PAHs of an urban and a rural site were shown to be very similar with a positive correlation coefficient larger than 0.9 at the 0.01 level of significance for the same season. Diagnostic ratios, together with principal component and multiple linear regression analysis, showed that more PAHs were from grass/wood/coal combustion in winter than in other seasons. The ratios of benzo[a]pyrene to benzo[e]pyrene (BaP-BeP) in winter and fall were 0.6-1.7 times higher than those in spring and summer, suggesting the importance of local emissions of PAHs. The BaP-BeP ratios in Kinmen were generally lower than those in Xiamen, indicating that the aging degree of PAHs was higher in Kinmen than in Xiamen. The external input of PAHs from upwind urban and industrial areas was one of the key factors causing high levels of PAHs in PM(10) in Great Xiamen Bay in winter.     

Assessment of hydrocarbons concentration in marine fauna due to Tasman Spirit oil spill along the Clifton beach at Karachi coast

On 27 July 2003, Tasman Spirit spilled 31,000 tonnes of crude oil into the sea at the Karachi coast. This disaster badly affected the marine life (Flora and Fauna.) Present research has been proposed to ascertain the level of Polycyclic Aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contamination in different fisheries including Fishes, Crustaceans; Crabs and Shrimps, Mollusks and Echinoderms along with passing time. Heavier components of crude oil such as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) appear to cause most damages as these are relatively unreactive and persist in water. High concentrations of toxic PAHs were observed in all the fisheries and shellfishes caught form oil-impacted area. In this study fishes were found most contaminated than shellfishes i.e. summation operator 16 PAH = 1821.24 microg/g and summation operator 1164.34 microg/g, respectively. Naphthalene was found in the range of 0.042-602.23 microg/g. Acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene and anthracene were detected in the range 0.008-80.03 microg/g, fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo(a)anthracene and chrysene 0.0008-221.32 microg/g, benzo(b) fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene and benzo(a) pyrene 0.0005-7.71 microg/g, benzo(g,h,i)perylene and indeno(1,2,3-c,d)pyrene 0.02-503.7 microg/g. Dibenzo(a,h)anthracenre was not detected in any specie.     

典型废酸油渣中54种VOCs和16种PAHs的分布特征研究

通过运用GC-MS方法对3家润滑油生产企业废酸油渣中的54种挥发性有机物(VOCs)和16种多环芳烃(PAHs)进行定性及定量分析.结果表明,54种VOCs有12种被检出,检出率为22.2％,其中1,2,4-三甲苯在75个样品中均有检出,检出率为100％.54种VOCs质量分数为ND～12.5 mg/kg,其中质量分数...     

Chemometric application in identifying sources of organic contaminants in Langat river basin

Increasing urbanization and changes in land use in Langat river basin lead to adverse impacts on the environment compartment. One of the major challenges is in identifying sources of organic contaminants. This study presented the application of selected chemometric techniques: cluster analysis (CA), discriminant analysis (DA), and principal component analysis (PCA) to classify the pollution sources in Langat river basin based on the analysis of water and sediment samples collected from 24 stations, monitored for 14 organic contaminants from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), sterols, and pesticides groups. The CA and DA enabled to group 24 monitoring sites into three groups of pollution source (industry and urban socioeconomic, agricultural activity, and urban/domestic sewage) with five major discriminating variables: naphthalene, pyrene, benzo[a]pyrene, coprostanol, and cholesterol. PCA analysis, applied to water data sets, resulted in four latent factors explaining 79.0% of the total variance while sediment samples gave five latent factors with 77.6% explained variance. The varifactors (VFs) obtained from PCA indicated that sterols (coprostanol, cholesterol, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, and stigmastanol) are strongly correlated to domestic and urban sewage, PAHs (naphthalene, acenaphthene, pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene, and benzo[a]pyrene) from industrial and urban activities and chlorpyrifos correlated to samples nearby agricultural sites. The results demonstrated that chemometric techniques can be used for rapid assessment of water and sediment contaminations.