Impacts of urbanization on surface sediment quality: evidence from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) contaminations in the Grand Canal of China

Introduction

Organic pollutants, especially synthetic organic compounds, can indicate paces of anthropogenic activities. Effects of urbanization on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) distributions in surface sediment were conducted in urban sections of the Grand Canal, China, consisting of a four-level urbanization gradient.

Materials and methods

The four-level urbanization gradients include three countryside towns, two small-size cities, three medium-size cities, and a large-size city. Diagnostic ratio analysis and factor analysis?Cmultiple linear regression model were used for source apportionment of PAHs. Sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) of USA and Canada were employed to assess ecological risks of PAHs and PCBs in surface sediments of the Canal.

Results and discussion

Ranges of PAH and PCB concentrations in surface sediments were 0.66?C22?mg/kg and 0.5?C93???g/kg, respectively. Coal-related sources were primary PAH sources and followed by vehicular emission. Total concentration, composition, and source apportionment of PAHs exhibited urbanization gradient effects. Total PCB concentrations increased with the urbanization gradient, while total PAHs concentration in surface sediments presented an inverted U Kuznets curve with the urbanization gradient. Elevated concentrations of both PAHs and PCBs ranged at effect range low levels or interim SQG, assessed by USA and Canadian SQGs.

Conclusions

PAHs and PCBs in surface sediments of the Grand Canal showed urbanization gradient effects and low ecological risks.     

Persistent organic pollutants in soil density fractions: distribution and sorption strength

The sorption strength of persistent organic pollutants in soils may vary among different soil organic matter (SOM) pools. We hypothesized that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were unevenly distributed and had different soil organic carbon (SOC)-water partition coefficients (K(OC)) among soil density fractions. We determined the concentrations and K(OC) values of 20 PAHs and 12 PCBs in bulk samples and three density fractions (light, <2.0, medium, 2.0-2.4, and heavy, >2.4 g cm(-3)) of 11 urban topsoils (0-5 cm) from Bayreuth, Germany. The K(OC) values were determined using sequential extraction with methanol-water mixtures (35% and 65% methanol) at 60 degrees C. The sum of 20 PAH concentrations in bulk soil ranged 0.4-186 mg kg(-1), and that of 12 PCB concentrations 1.2-158 microg kg(-1). The concentrations of all PAHs and PCBs decreased in the order light>medium>heavy fraction. When normalized to the SOC concentrations, PAH concentrations were significantly higher in the heavy than in the other density fractions. The K(OC) values of the PAHs in density fractions were 3-20 times higher than those of the PCBs with similar octanol-water partition coefficients (K(OW)). The K(OC) values of individual PAHs and PCBs varied up to a factor of 1000 among the studied soils and density fractions. The K(OC) values of 5- and 6-ring PAHs tended to be highest in the heavy fraction, coinciding with their enrichment in this fraction. For the other PAHs and all PCBs, the K(OC) values did not differ among the density fractions. Thus, there is no relationship between sorption strength and distribution among density fractions, indicating that density fractionation is not a suitable tool to distinguish among differently reactive PAH and PCB pools in soils.     

Pollution survey of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface water of Hangzhou, China

The concentrations of 10 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were simultaneously measured for five times (July and November 1999–2002) in four water bodies of Hangzhou, China. To investigate possible sources of PAH contamination, sediments, soils, runoff water and atmospheric particles of the region were also analyzed for their PAH contents. The maximum levels of PAHs in the water bodies (34.4–67.7 μg/l) were found in July, while significantly lower PAH concentrations (4.7–15.3 μg/l) were measured in November. The contamination is substantial and it may have resulted in acute toxic effects on aquatic organisms. The measured PAH concentrations in sediments and soils (224–4222 ng/g), runoff water (8.3 μg/l) and air particles (2.3 μg/m³) are discussed in relation to concentrations and patterns found in the surface water bodies. Comparison of PAH levels in sediments and soils led to the conclusion that the erosion of soil material does not contribute significantly to the contamination of sediments. The atmospheric PAH deposition to water bodies in the city area of Hangzhou was estimated to be 530 tons/a, while the contribution of surface runoff water was estimated to be 30.7 tons/a. The ratios of selected PAH were then used to illuminate the possible origin of PAHs in the examined samples (petrogenic, pyrogenic).     

Determination of coplanar and ortho substituted PCBs in some sewage sludges of Switzerland using HRGC/ECD and HRGC/MSD

The three most toxic coplanar PCB congeners PCB 77, 126 and 169 as well as 7 mono-and di-ortho-PCBs (PCB 28, 52, 101, 118, 153, 138, 180) were measured in 19 sewage sludges. Concentrations of the coplanar PCBs ranged between 231–5050 ng/kg dw for PCB 77, 43–1511 ng/kg dw for PCB 126 and 29–273 ng/kg dw for PCB 169. Comparable results were obtained with mass selective detection in the single ion monitoring mode (MSD-SIM) except for PCB 169, where MSD-SIM was less sensitive than ECD. The sum of the 7 mono-and di-ortho-PCBs, which are routinely measured as representatives of the PCB fraction, reached levels between 43–550 μg/kg dw and agreed well with results previously obtained in our laboratory. Based on our data, a selective accumulation of the coplanar PCBs could not be observed. Sludges that received industrial effluents clearly showed higher PCB levels than rural ones. Finally, calculation of TEQ equivalents of the coplanar PCBs in the sewage sludges revealed that, based on application rates normally used in Switzerland, the contribution of the sludges to soil pollution seems to be of minor importance.     

Polychlorinated biphenyls in digested UK sewage sludges

Twelve sewage sludges from rural, urban and industrial waste water treatment works in north west England were analysed for polychlorinated biphenyls by capillary GC-ECD. The total polychlorinated biphenyl content ranged between 106 to 712 μg/kg, with a mean of 292 μg/kg. Di- and penta-chlorinated congeners made the greatest contribution to the ΣPCB concentrations at most sites. The 6 IUPAC congeners were found in the following order of abundance, 101>180>153>138>52>28. Industrial inputs would appear to influence levels of ΣPCB in the sludge.

If these sludges were ploughed into arable land at typical rates only a slight elevation in soil ΣPCB levels would result. Alternatively, if the same quantity of sludge were applied to the surface of pasture grassland, significant elevations in the potential transfer of PCBs to grazing livestock may result.     

A chemical and toxicological profile of Dutch North Sea surface sediments

Chemical and toxicological profiles were assessed in surface sediments (fraction <63 μm) from the southern North Sea. In extracts of freeze-dried samples, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), Irgarol 1051 and phthalate concentrations were below the respective detection limits (except di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, which was between 170 and 3300 μg kg⁻¹ dry weight (dw)). Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) concentrations were between 0.8 and 6.9 μg kg⁻¹ dw, with highest concentrations at river mouths. Polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDE) concentrations were 0.4–0.6 μg kg⁻¹ dw, decabromodiphenylether (BDE209) 1–32 μg kg⁻¹ dw. The ratio BDE209/PCB153 was used as a tracer for recent emissions, and pointed towards a BDE209 source in the Western Scheldt’s upper estuary. PCBs and PAHs were between 0.19–4.7 and 2.6–200 μg kg⁻¹ dw respectively and generally had highest concentrations at near-shore locations and river mouths.

Responses in the Microtox broad-spectrum and the Mutatox genotoxicity assays were generally low, with near-shore locations giving higher responses. The umu-C genotoxicity and the ER-CALUX assay for estrogenicity showed no response, with the exception of one near-shore location (IJmuiden outer harbour, ER-CALUX).

Highest dioxin-like toxicity (DR-CALUX) was found at near-shore locations, in the outflow of the Rhine/Meuse estuary including a dumping site of harbour sludge. At the Oyster Grounds, DR-CALUX responses appeared to be linked to the occurrence of larger PAHs (4–6 rings). A new, non-destructive clean up procedure resulted in significantly higher DR-CALUX responses than the current protocol. The Dutch legislation on disposal of harbour sludge at sea, dictates the use of the conventional clean up procedure. Our results therefore indicate that probably more dioxin-like toxicity associated with harbour sludge is disposed off at sea than assumed.     

Assessment of polychlorobiphenyls in human/poultry fat and in hair/plumage from a contaminated area

HR gas chromatographic PCB patterns in human/poultry fat tissue and hair/plumage in samples from a polluted region of Bela Krajina /Slovenia/ were investigated. The concentration of PCBs in human adipose tissue was found to be 9.62 μg/g in comparison to 0.67 μg/g in the adipose tissue of the non-exposed population, and in poultry fat 12.80 μg/g on a fat basis. The corresponding values in human hair and poultry plumage were 0.90 μg/g and 0.20 μg/g of original weight. The difference in PCB patterns between fat and hair can be attributed to the different routes of contamination (ingestion, air transport), to the time of exposure and physicochemical properties (octanol- water partition coefficients, Henry's law constants and the metabolism) of some individual congeners. Hair could be used for the assessment of ingestion of contaminated food and of the PCB levels in the air. In fat tissue PCB congeners with higher metabolic stability are enriched, whereas in hair PCB congeners with higher concentrations in air and with high octanol- water partition coefficients predominate.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, black carbon, and molecular markers in soils of Switzerland

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were analysed in 23 soil samples (0–10 cm layer) from the Swiss soil monitoring network (NABO) together with total organic carbon (TOC) and black carbon (BC) concentration, as well as some PAH source diagnostic ratios and molecular markers. The concentrations of the sum of 16 EPA priority PAHs ranged from 50 to 619 μg/kg dw. Concentrations increased from arable, permanent and pasture grassland, forest, to urban soils and were 21–89% lower than median numbers reported in the literature for similar Swiss and European soils. NABO soils contained BC in concentrations from 0.4 to 1.8 mg/g dw, except for two sites with markedly higher levels. These numbers corresponded to 1–6% of TOC and were comparable to the limited published BC data in soil and sediments obtained with comparable analytical methods. The various PAH ratios and molecular markers pointed to a domination of pyrogenically formed PAHs in Swiss soils. In concert, the gathered data suggest the following major findings: (1) gas phase PAHs (naphthalene to fluorene) were long-range transported, cold-condensated at higher altitudes, and approaching equilibrium with soil organic matter (OM); (2) (partially) particle-bound PAHs (phenanthrene to benzo[ghi]perylene) were mostly deposited regionally in urban areas, and not equilibrated with soil OM; (3) Diesel combustion appeared to be a major emission source of PAH and BC in urban areas; and (4) wood combustion might have contributed significantly to PAH burdens in some soils of remote/alpine (forest) sites.     

Distribution and spatial trends of PAHs and PCBs in soils in the Seine River basin, France

Persistent organic pollutants (PAHs and PCBs) in soil samples from seven sites across the Seine basin were analysed. Samples were taken from industrialized, urban, suburban and remote sites. Results showed spatial differences, in terms of concentrations and congener profiles. PAH (Sigma14 PAHs) and PCB (Sigma 7 PCBs) concentrations ranged from 450 to 5650 microg kg(-1) and 0.09 to 150 microg kg(-1), respectively. A clear gradient from industrial to remote sites was highlighted, with a ratio of up to one order of magnitude for PAHs and two orders of magnitude for PCBs. Fluoranthene and pyrene were predominant, while the carcinogenic PAHs represented 15-46% of the total PAH content. Using hierarchical cluster analysis, soil samples profiles were compared and the influence of site location and potential sources were identified: automobile traffic, domestic heating, and industrial emissions were the prevalent PAHs sources in the Seine basin. PCB profiles suggested different transport patterns among congeners. For remote sites, the congener fingerprint showed a relatively higher proportion of the most volatile congeners, which were attributed to increased atmospheric residence times. Thus, PAH and PCB distributions in soils provided information on sources and evidence for short-range transport, and profiles of compounds reflected differences between regional and local emissions. This study demonstrates that soil sampling can be used to investigate spatial differences in atmospheric inputs of persistent organic pollutants based on differences in the mixtures of compounds, reflecting differences in regional and local atmospheric emissions.     

Polychlorinated naphthalenes in urban soils: analysis,concentrations, and relation to other persistent organic pollutants

We determined the concentrations of 35 PCNs, 12 PCBs, and 20 PAHs in 49 urban topsoils under different land use (house garden, roadside grassland, alluvial grassland, park areas, industrial sites, agricultural sites) and in nine rural topsoils. The sums of concentrations of 35 PCNs (sigma35 PCNs) were <0.1-15.4 microg kg(-1) in urban soils and <0.1 to 0.82 microg kg(-1) in rural soils. The PCN, PCB, and PAH concentrations were highest at industrial sites and in house gardens. While rural soils receive PCNs, PCBs, and PAHs by common atmospheric deposition, there are site-specific sources of PCNs, PCBs, and PAHs for urban soils such as deposition of contaminated technogenic materials. The PCN, PCB, and PAH concentrations decreased from the central urban to the rural area. In the same order the contribution of lower chlorinated PCNs and PCBs increased because they are more volatile and subject to increased atmospheric transport. The PCNs 52+60, and 73 were more abundant in soil samples than in Halowax mixtures, indicating that combustion contributed to the PCN contamination of the soils.     

PCBs and PAHs in U.K. urban air

As part of a long term air monitoring programme the ambient air in four UK urban areas was sampled throughout 1991. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were sampled from the air in London, Cardiff, Manchester and Stevenage. Both vapour and particulate phases were collected at each site, and total concentrations are reported for 26 alternate weeks of the year.

Total PAH concentrations (sum of 15 compounds) varied between 11 and 735 ng/m³ for the four sites. For each site PAH levels were dominated by the lower molecular weight compounds of phenanthrene, fluorene and pyrene, which made up more than 75% of the ΣPAH. The contribution of individual compounds to the total was broadly similar at each site in both the winter and summer. Concentrations of the higher molecular weight compounds were greater by a factor of 2.5 in the winter months.

Eight PCB congeners (28, 52, 77, 101, 118, 138, 153 and 180) were measured at each site. London gave the highest recorded value of 3.85 ng ΣPCB/m³. Values at the four sites ranged between 0.19–3.85 ng/m³, this range being similar to levels reported in other European and American cities. Congeners 28 and 52 dominated the air mixture, comprising > 80% of the measured total. PCB concentrations in the summer were, on average, double those for the winter.     

Profiles of PAH emission from steel and iron industries

In order to characterize the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emission from steel and iron industries, this study measured the stack emission of twelve steel and iron plants in southern Taiwan to construct a set of source fingerprints. The study sampled the emissions by the USEPA's sampling method 5 with the modification of Graseby for the gas and particulate phase PAH and, then, used Hewlett-Packard 5890 gas chromatograph equipped with mass spectrometer detector to analyze the samples. The steel and iron industries are classified into three categories on the basis of auxiliary energy source: Category I uses coal as fuel, Category II uses heavy oil as fuel and Category III uses electric arc furnace. The pollution source profiles are obtained by averaging the ratios of individual PAH concentrations to the total concentration of 21 PAHs and total particulate matter measured in this study. Results of the study show that low molecular weight PAHs are predominant in gas plus particulate phase for all three categories. For particulate phase PAHs, however, the contribution of large molecular weight compounds increases. Two-ring PAHs account for the majority of the mass, varying from 84% to 92% with an average of 89%. The mass fractions of 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-ring PAHs in Category I are found to be more than those of the other two categories. The mass of Category III is dominated by 7-ring PAHs. Large (or heavy) molecular weight PAHs (HMW PAHs) are carcinogenic. Over all categories, these compounds are less than 1% of the total-PAH mass on the average. The indicatory PAHs are benz[a]anthracene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[ghi]perylene for Category I, benzo[a]pyrene, acenaphthene, acenaphthylene for Category II and coronene, pyrene, benzo[b]chrycene for Category III. The indicatory PAHs among categories are very different. Thus, dividing steel and iron industry into categories by auxiliary fuel is to increase the precision of estimation by a receptor model. Average total-PAH emission factors for coal, heavy oil and electric arc furnace were 4050 μg/kg-coal, 5750 μg/l-oil, 2620 μg/kW h, respectively. Carcinogenic benzo[a]pyrene for gas plus particulate phase was 2.0 g/kg-coal, 2.4 μg/l-oil and 1.4 μg/kW h for Category I, II and III, respectively.     

Organochlorine pesticides, PCBs and mercury in antarctic and subantarctic seabirds

Between 1978 and 1983, eggs from 15 species of Antarctic and Subantarctic seabirds were collected and analysed for organochlorine pesticides, PCBs, and mercury residues. The lowest levels of these chemicals were detected in the eggs of Adélie Penguins from Prydz Bay. Antarctica. On a wet weight basis, the mean concentrations in eggs of these penguins were 0.01 μg/g HCB, 0.005 μg/g DDE, less than 0.1 μg/g PCBs (1260) and 0.02 μg/g mercury. Such values indicate that the environmental levels of these contaminants in the biotypes of these species are extremely low, and present no significant threat.

The highest levels of contaminants were found in the eggs of species which breed in Antarctica and migrate to regions well north of the Antarctic Convergence in the non-breeding season. On a wet weight basis, Northern Giant-Petrel eggs contained 0.11 μg/g HCB, 0.95 μg/g DDE and 1.8 μg/g PCB (1260), and 1.8 μg/g mercury. There are indications that DDE levels are increasing for both Southern and Northern Giant-Petrels, and it is possible that reports of a decreasing number of breeding pairs of these species at several colonies are due to one or more of these contaminants reaching toxic levels.

Analysis of penguin tissues show that preen gland lipid is suitable for monitoring the body burden of organochlorine insecticides and PCBs in seabirds.

Variation in DDE and mercury residue levels for some of these species suggest that the biotypes in which they live are quite different, and that the Antarctic Convergence may have a major influence in protecting the Antarctic ecosystem from these pollutants.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) distributions in the Bay of Marmara sea: Izmit Bay

In 1999, the concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), the total PAH and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in sea water, sediment and mussels collected along the coast of Izmit Bay, the most important bay of the Marmara Sea. The total-PAH concentrations, measured by Spectrofluorometry were in the range of 1.16-13.68 microg/l in sea water, in the range of 30.0 1670.0 microg/g dry weight in sediments and in the range from 5.67 to 14.81 microg/g wet weight in edible part of mussel. HPLC revealed Phenanthrene (three rings), chrysene (four rings) and benz[a]antracene (five rings) to be the dominant PAHs in sea water, while 16 different PAHs compounds were observed and measured in mussel samples. The most pollution occured at Dogu Kanali and Dil Deresi where were the main rivers containing wastes fall into the the Izmit Bay. Although the maximum mono-ortho PCB concentrations in sea water were measured in the Dil Deresi River (26.33 ng/l) and the Solventa? (22.19 ng/l) stations, maximum PCB concentrations in mussels were measured in the SEKA (28.11 microg/kg) and the Dil Deresi River (25.68 microg/kg). The dominant congeners of PCBs were from tetra to hexachlorobiphenyls. The toxicity equivalent values were very low in sea water and mussels.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls in forest soils: depth distribution as indicator of different fate

We determined 20 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 12 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Oi, Oe, and Oa horizons and at 0-5 and 15-20 cm mineral soil depth of 16 Norway spruce (Picea abies) stands in north Bavaria. The sum of PAH concentrations increased along the line Oi (mean+/-SD: 841+/-330 microg kg(-1))相似文献   

Seasonal variations of hydrophobic organic contaminant concentrations in the water-column of the Seine Estuary and their transfer to a planktonic species Eurytemora affinis (Calanoïda, copepoda). Part 1: PCBs and PAHs

Hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOC) (i.e. PAHs and PCBs) were measured in the water column and in Eurytemora affinis samples from the Seine Estuary collected from November 2002 to February 2005. Results showed seasonal variations of both total PCB and PAH levels in the suspended particulate matter (SPM) and in the copepods with maximum levels during winter times. PAH and PCB concentrations in the SPM ranged from 499 to 5819ngg(-1) and from 58 to 463ngg(-1), respectively. Phenanthrene, pyrene and benzo[b+j+k]fluoranthene (B[b+j+k]F) were the predominant PAH compounds in the water column, while CB 101, 118, 153 and 138 were the most abundant PCB congeners. PCBs and PAHs bioaccumulated by E. affinis (EA) varied between 383 and 1785ngg(-1) and 165-3866ngg(-1). CB101, 153, 138 and B[b+j+k] were, respectively, the major compounds of PCB and PAH fingerprints in EA. Thereby, the copepods could reach high accumulation factor (ACF) (91000 for PCBs and 17000 for PAHs). The principal component analyses of contaminant concentrations and environmental parameter datasets distinguished two groups of copepods. The winter time cluster, with high percentage of adult copepods, which bioaccumulated the highest PCB and PAH body-burdens, and the second cluster with juveniles showing the lowest HOC concentrations. Thus, PAH and PCB concentrations in EA exhibited significant correlations with the percentage of adults making up the samples.     

Application of surrogate methods for assessing the bioavailability of PAHs in sediments to a sediment ingesting bivalve

The usefulness of two surrogate methods for rapidly determining the bioavailability of PAHs in hydrocarbon-contaminated marine sediments was assessed. Comparisons are made between the PAHs accumulated by the benthic bivalve, Tellina deltoidalis, and the extractable-PAHs determined using a 6-h XAD-2 resin desorption method and a 4-h gut fluid mimic (GFM) extraction method. There were significant positive relationships between PAH bioaccumulation by the bivalves and sediment PAH concentrations. These relationships were not improved by normalising the sediment PAH concentrations to the organic carbon concentration. The average percentage lipid content of the bivalves was 1.47 ± 0.22% and BSAFs for total-PAHs ranged from 0.06 to 0.80 (kg OC/kg lipid). The XAD-2 and GFM methods both extracted varying amounts of PAHs from the sediments. Low concentrations of PAHs were extracted by the GFM method (0.2–3.6% of total-PAHs in sediments) and the GFM results were inadequate for generalising about the bioavailability of the PAHs in the sediments. The XAD-2 method extracted greater amounts of PAHs (3–34% of total-PAHs in sediments), however, the total-PAH concentrations in the sediments provided a better, or equally good, prediction of PAH bioaccumulation by T. deltoidalis. The results indicated that these methods required further development before they can be applied routinely as surrogate methods for assessing the bioavailability of PAHs in sediments. Future research should be directed towards lowering detection limits and obtaining comparative data for a greater range of sediment types, contaminant classes and concentrations, and organisms of different feeding guilds and with different gut chemistry.     

Bench-scale testing of selected remediation alternatives for contaminated sediments

The Assessment and Remediation of Contaminated Sediments (ARCS) Program within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) contained a component for demonstrating and evaluating sediment remediation technologies. Toward this end, bench-scale tests of solvent extraction, thermal desorption, and wet air oxidation technologies were conducted. Contaminated sediments were tested from the Grand Calumet River, Indiana; Buffalo River, New York; Saginaw River, Michigan; and Ashtabula River, Ohio. The primary contaminants of concern in these sediments were polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The solvent extraction tests were conducted with sediments from the Grand Calumet, Buffalo, and Saginaw rivers. The thermal desorption studies were conducted with sediments from the Grand Calumet, Buffalo, and Ashtabula rivers. The wet air oxidation testing was performed with the Grand Calumet River sediment. Raw sediment contaminant concentrations ranged from 0.32-21.9 mg/kg dry mass for PCBs and 2.70-266 mg/kg dry mass for PAHs. PCB removal or destruction efficiencies ranged from approximately 6-99%. PAH removal or destruction efficiencies ranged from 65-99%. Mass balance closures ranged from 40-99% for solids; 59-139% for water; 29-3500% for oil; 16-129% for PCBs; and 69-3170% for PAHs.     

SITE Demonstration of the Basic Extractive Sludge Treatment Process

The Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program, in cooperation with EPA Region 5, the Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) planned and executed a pilot-scale evaluation of the Basic Extractive Sludge Treatment (B.E.S.T.®) process on sediment samples obtained from the Grand Calumet River in Gary, Indiana. Two separate sampling locations were selected based upon previous data. One location had sediments with total polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations averaging 10 mg/kg, and total polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations averaging 520 mg/kg. The other location had sediments with average total PCB and PAH concentrations of 427 mg/kg and 72,000 mg/kg, respectively. The sediment samples were segregated by location, then screened, homogenized, and stored prior to treatment. A total of ten batches of sediments were treated (five for each sample location).

Results showed that of the samples which had low original contaminants concentrations, 96 percent of the PAHs and >99 percent of the PCBs were removed following seven sequential extractions. Treated samples which had high original contaminant concentrations were found to have removal efficiencies of >99 percentfor both PAHs and PCBs. Costs for applying this technology were estimated at $94.19/ton (assuming the system is on-line 80 percent of the time) excluding fixed costs associated with system mobilization/ demobilization and setup, and profit.     

Occurrence of PAHs, PCBs and organochlorine pesticides in the Tonghui River of Beijing, China

Tonghui River, a typical river in Beijing, People's Republic of China, was studied for its water and sediment quality, by determining the levels of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 12 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 18 organochlorine pesticides in water and sediment samples. Total PAHs, PCBs and organochlorine pesticides concentrations in water varied from 192.5 to 2651 ng/l, 31.58-344.9 ng/l and 134.9-3788 ng/l, respectively. The total PAHs, PCBs and organochlorine pesticides concentrations in surficial sediments were 127-928 ng/g, 0.78-8.47 ng/g and 1.79-13.98 ng/g dry weight, respectively. The results showed that the concentration of these selected organic pollutants in sediment was higher than those in surface water. It may be due to the fact that organic hydrophobic pollutants tend to stay in the sediments. The PAHs were dominated by 2-, 3-ring components in water samples and by 3- and 4-ring compounds in sediment. For organochlorines, alpha-HCH, delta-HCH, Heptachlor, Endosulfan II, DDT are the major organochlorine pesticides in water while Heptachlor, Dieldrin and DDE composed of 95% of total organochlorine pesticides in sediment. For HCHs (HCHs=alpha-HCH+beta-HCH+gamma-HCH+delta-HCH), the predominance of alpha-HCH of total HCHs were clearly observed in water and sediment. PCB18, PCB31 and PCB52 were predominant in water, on average these compounds collectively accounted for 67% of total PCBs. But in sediment, the predominant compounds were PCB28, PCB31 and PCB153, which accounted for 71% of total PCBs in sediment. The levels of micro pollutants in our study areas were compared with other studies.