Aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments of Kaohsiung Harbour and adjacent coast, Taiwan

Surficial sediment samples collected from Kaohsiung Harbour and its nearby coast were analyzed for aliphatic hydrocarbons and parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). According to our results, the average total concentrations of n-alkanes (n-C₁₂ to C₃₅) and aromatics (15 PAHs) were 4.33 µg g^–1 dry weight (ranged 0.46–22.60) and 0.59 µg g^–1 dry weight (ranged 0.09–1.75), respectively. The highest concentrations of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons were recorded in stations near the estuaries of Qianzhen River and Love River, respectively. Aliphatic hydrocarbons in the samples indicate that there has been significant non-petrogenic, possibly terrestrial, contribution in the sediment of the open coast of Kaohsiung Harbour and that there has been dominant contribution from petrogenic sources in the sediment of the inner harbour. PAHs, detected in the samples, however, indicated a higher pyrolytic contribution in open-coast samples and a higher petrogenic contribution in the inner harbour. Overall, sediment concentrations of total alkanes in this study were comparable to those found in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong and are higher than those found in Xiamen Harbour, China. Concentrations of total PAHs in inner Kaohsiung Harbour sediments were relatively lower than those found in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong and Xiamen Harbour, China, but comparable to those found in Hsin-ta Harbour, Taiwan and Incheon Harbour, Korea. In comparison with several effect-based sediment quality guidelines, most PAH concentrations found in samples taken from inner harbour stations exceeded the Threshold Effect Level of Florida indicating a slight possibility of adverse effects.     

不同木柴在两种条件下燃烧生成的颗粒物中多环芳烃的排放特性研究

将马尾松、赤桉、甜叶桉树和锦熟黄杨四种木柴,使用普通家用木柴燃烧加热炉在两种条件下进行燃烧,采集燃烧所排放的颗粒物样品并分析,获得了颗粒物中多环芳烃(Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons简写为PAHs)的排放因子及单个多环芳烃化合物的分布规律。结果显示:在颗粒物中检测出的多环芳烃化合物主要是分子量较大并被称为基因致毒性类的多环芳烃化合物,实验还发现:在四种木柴中,马尾松具有最高的多环芳烃化合物的排放因子,其次是赤桉和锦熟黄杨,最低的是甜叶桉树。两种不同的燃烧条件相比,慢燃烧比快燃烧所产生的总多环芳烃化合物和基因致毒性多环芳烃化合物的量都要高。     

Measurements of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at an industrial site in India

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations were measured in Total Suspended Particulate Matter (TSPM) from December 2005 to August 2006 at Nunhai, an industrial site in Agra (India). Particulate matter samples were collected on glass fibre filters using High Volume Sampler (HVS-430) and were extracted using dichloromethane with ultrasonication and analyzed by GC. Total PAH concentration varies between 0.04 to 2.5 microg m(-3) accounting only 1.6 x 10(-3)% of TSPM. The mass distribution in air was dominated by high molecular weight DbA, BghiP, BaP, BkF and IP. Combustion PAH (CPAH) except BeP represents 58% of the total PAH mass and IARC classified total carcinogenic PAH accounting 63% of TPAH concentration. Correlation studies between PAH revealed the contribution of low molecular weight PAH was mainly due to primary emission from diesel exhaust while high molecular weight PAH were formed during combustion. The presence of specific tracers and calculation of characteristic molecular diagnostic ratios Fla/(Fla + Pyr), BaP/(BaP + Chy), BaA/(BaA + Chy), IP/(IP + BghiP), BaP/BghiP and IP/BghiP) were used to identify the sources of the emissions of PAHs in the atmospheric samples. Seasonal variation in atmospheric PAH showed four fold increase in winter concentration than summer. The BaP and relative BaP amount calculated from the measurements suggested that photo-oxidation may also be responsible for the variation in PAH concentrations during winter and summer. Seasonal trends in atmospheric PAH concentration in the study area were influenced by fossil fuel usage for domestic heating, boundary height and temperature.     

土壤多环芳烃污染的地统计学研究进展

土壤中的多环芳烃对人体健康具有潜在的危害。应用地统计学的方法研究土壤多环芳烃的空间特性,以及在此基础上开展风险评价、污染源识别、土壤修复等工作,是土壤多环芳烃研究的重要方向之一。文章介绍了国内外在这个领域的研究成果,并提出了此领域的发展方向展望。     

Particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in an urban, industrial and rural area in the western Mediterranean

Particle-bound PAHs were measured at three sites in southeastern Spain (an urban background location, a suburban-industrial site in the vicinity of two cement plants and a rural area) in order to investigate the influence of the type of location on PAH concentrations. A clear influence of cement production on particulate PAH levels could not be established since for the urban background and suburban-industrial sites the average concentrations of total PAHs in the PM2.5 fraction were very similar (1.085 and 1.151 ng m(-3), respectively), with benzo[b+k]fluoranthene and chrysene as the predominant compounds. Diagnostic ratios, used to identify PAH emission sources, pointed to traffic as the main source of particulate PAH at both locations. As expected, PAH levels at the rural site were significantly lower (0.408 ng m(-3) in the PM10 fraction) due to increasing distance from the emission sources. PAH seasonal variations at the urban background and suburban-industrial sites were the same as reported in many previous studies. Average winter to summer ratios for total PAHs were 4.4 and 4.9 for the urban background and industrial sites, in that order. This seasonal cycle could be partially explained by the higher temperature and solar radiation during summer enhancing PAH evaporation from the particulate phase and PAH photochemical degradation, respectively. The study of PAH distribution between the fine and coarse fraction at the urban site revealed that on average around 80% of total PAHs were associated with fine particles.     

Identification of sources of elevated concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in an industrial area in Tianjin, China

The concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined by gas chromatography equipped with a mass spectrometry detector in 105 topsoil samples from an industrial area around Bohai Bay, Tianjin in the North of China. Results demonstrated that concentrations of PAHs in 104 soil samples from this area ranged from 68.7 to 5,590 ng g^???1 dry weight with a mean of ∑16PAHs 814 ± 813 ng g^???1, which suggests that there exists mid to high levels of PAH contamination. The concentration of ∑16PAHs in one soil sample from Tianjin Port was exceptionally high (48,700 ng g^???1). Ninety-three of the 105 soil samples were considered to be contaminated with PAHs (>200 ng g^???1), and 25 were heavily polluted (>1,000 ng g^???1). The sites with high PAHs concentration are mainly distributed around chemical industry parks and near highways. Two low molecular weight PAHs, naphthalene and phenanthrene, were the dominant components in the soil samples, which accounted for 22.1% and 10.7% of the ∑16PAHs concentration, respectively. According to the observed molecular indices, house heating in winter, straw stalk combustion in open areas after harvest, and petroleum input were common sources of PAHs in this area, while factory discharge and vehicle exhaust were the major sources around chemical industrial parks and near highways. Biological processes were probably another main source of low molecular weight PAHs.     

南京某县空气、土壤中多环芳烃的分布及来源

采用建立的采样及分析监测程序对南京某县空气、土壤中的多环芳烃进行了调查监测,探讨了多环芳烃在空气、土壤中的分布特征、相关性及可能的污染来源.     

Distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Wuhan section of the Yangtze River, China

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are important organic contaminants with great significance for China, where coal burning is the main source of energy. In this study, concentrations, distribution between different phases, possible sources and eco-toxicological effect of PAHs of the Yangtze River were assessed. PAHs in water, suspended particulate matters (SPM) and sediment samples at seven main river sites, 23 tributary and lake sites of the Yangtze River at the Wuhan section were analyzed. The total concentrations of PAHs in the studied area ranged from 0.242 to 6.235 μg/l in waters and from 31 to 4,812 μg/kg in sediment. The average concentration of PAHs in SPM was 4,677 μg/kg, higher than that in sediment. Benzo(a)pyrene was detected only at two stations, but the concentrations were above drinking water standard. The PAHs level of the Yangtze River was similar to that of some other rivers in China but higher than some rivers in foreign countries. There existed a positive relationship between PAHs concentrations and the TOC contents in sediment. The ratio of specific PAHs indicated that PAHs mainly came from combustion process, such as coal and wood burning. PAHs may cause potential toxic effect but will not cause acute biological effects in sedimentary environment of the Wuhan section of the Yangtze River.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in bulk PM2.5 and size-segregated aerosol particle samples measured in an urban environment

To analyze polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at an urban site in Seoul, South Korea, 24-hr ambient air PM_2.5 samples were collected during five intensive sampling periods between November 1998 and December 1999. To determine the PAH size distribution, 3-day size-segregated aerosol samples were also collected in December 1999. Concentrations of the 16 PAHs in the PM_2.5 particles ranged from 3.9 to 119.9 ng m⁻³ with a mean of 24.3 ng m⁻³.An exceptionally high concentration of PAHs(∼120 ng m⁻³) observed during a haze event in December 1999 was likely influenced more by diesel vehicle exhaust than by gasoline exhaust, as well as air stagnation, as evidenced by the low carbon monoxide/elemental carbon (CO/EC) ratio of 205 found in this study and results reported by previous studies. The total PAHs associated with the size-segregated particles showed unimodal distributions. Compared to the unimodal size distributions of PAHs with modal peaks at < 0.12 μm measured in highway tunnels in Los Angeles (Venkataraman and Friedlander, 1994), four- to six-ring PAHs in our study had unimodal size distributions, peaking at the larger size range of 0.28–0.53 μm, suggesting the coagulation of freshly emitted ultrafine particles during transport to the sampling site. Further, the fraction of PAHs associated with coarse particles(> 1.8 μm) increased as the molecular weight of the PAHs decreased due to volatilization of fine particles followed by condensation onto coarse particles.     

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.     

Biomonitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in urban and industrial environments of the Western Black Sea Region,Turkey

This research was carried out in the cities of Zonguldak and Eregli, which have been characterized as urban and industrial environments of the Western Black Sea Region, Turkey, in order to assess the contamination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using mosses as biomonitors. The methodology involved the collection of moss samples (Hypnum cupressiforme), ultrasonic extraction with dichloromethane, cleanup using silica gel and analysis by liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. The total PAH concentrations ranged from 78.1 to 1693.5 ng g^?1 in Zonguldak and from 15.2 to 275.1 ng g^?1 in Eregli. The total PAH concentration in Eregli was about six times lower than that in Zonguldak, revealing the importance of switching from coal to natural gas in residential heating. The diagnostic ratios and the correlation analysis have indicated that coal combustion and traffic emissions were the major PAH sources at both sites. The contour maps were constructed for the determination of spatial distributions of total PAHs, and it was shown for Zonguldak as well as for Eregli that the PAH pollution was much more predominant in highly populated regions. Moving away from the city centres, a gradual decrease in PAH pollution rates was observed.     

Role of volcanic dust in the atmospheric transport and deposition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and mercury

The role of volcanic ash as scavenger of atmospheric pollutants, in their transport and final deposition to the ground is examined. Attention is focused on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and on particulate mercury (Hgp). The ash-fall deposits studied belong to the 2001 and 2002 eruptive activity of Mount Etna, Southern Italy, and were investigated at three (2001) and four (2002) sites downwind of the major tephra dispersal pattern. The dry deposition of mercury and PAHs was determined, and, in particular, a downward flux to the ground of PAHs (approximately 7.29 microg m(-2) per day) and mercury (750 ng m(-2) per day) was estimated in Catania from October 26 to October 28, 2002. Finally, evidence on the anthropogenic origin of PAHs scavenged from the troposphere by volcanic ash is supported by the analysis of PAH compositions in granulometrically homogeneous fractions.     

Distribution,sources, and toxicity assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface soils of a heavy industrial city,Liuzhou, China

As a heavy industrial city, Liuzhou has been facing a serious pollution problem. It is necessary to take steps to control and prevent environmental pollution wherever possible. Surface soil samples were collected from four communities in Liuzhou City, to determine the concentrations, distributions, sources, and toxicity potential of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present. The mean concentrations of total PAHs in the surface soil are 756.43 ng/g for the heavy industrial area, 605.06 ng/g for the industrial area, 481.24 ng/g for the commercial–cum–residential area, and 49.93 ng/g for the rural area. Both the isomer ratio and principal component analyses for the PAHs prove that these pollutants originate mainly from coal, diesel, gasoline, and natural gas combustion. The pollution hierarchies and toxic equivalency factor of BaP prove that the city is subject to heavy pollution caused by industry, transportation, and daily human activities.     

Source analysis of particulate matter associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in an industrial city in northeastern China

Particle-associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations were investigated at eight sampling sites during cold periods where heating is used (heating period) (February to March, 2005) and warm periods where heating is not required (non-heating periods) (August to September 2006) in the urban area of Anshan, an iron and steel city in northeastern China. Eleven PAH species were measured using GC-MS. The total average concentrations of PAHs ranged from 46.14 to 385.60 ng m(-3) in the heating period and from 5.28 to 146.40 ng m(-3) in the non-heating period. The lowest concentration of ∑PAHs was observed at Qianshan, a monitoring site far from the city and industrial area, and the highest concentration occurred in the site located at the factory area of Anshan Iron and Steel Incorporation. Moreover, ambient PAH profiles were studied and high molecular weight PAH (including 4-6 rings) species occurred in the high fractions. Toxic equivalent factors analysis gave the potential carcinogenic risks in Anshan. For the heating sampling period, BaP equivalent concentration is in the range of 41.98 to 220.83 ng m(-3), and 9.23 to 126.00 ng m(-3) for the non-heating sampling period. By diagnostic ratio analysis, traffic emission and combustion (coal or biomass) were potential sources for PAHs in Anshan. Finally, PCA results indicated the major sources were vehicle emission, steel industry emission, and coal combustion for both heating and non-heating seasons, which agreed with the results from the diagnostic ratio analysis.     

Levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and dibenzothiophenes in wetland sediments and aquatic insects in the oil sands area of Northeastern Alberta, Canada

An immense volume of tailings and tailings water is accumulating in tailings ponds located on mine leases in the oil sands area of Alberta, Canada. Oil sands mining companies have proposed to use tailings- and tailings water-amended lakes and wetlands as part of their mine remediation plans. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are substances of concern in oil sands tailings and tailings water. In this study, we determined concentrations of PAHs in sediments, insect larvae and adult insects collected in or adjacent to three groups of wetlands: experimental wetlands to which tailings or tailings water had been purposely added, oil sands wetlands that were located on the mine leases but which had not been experimentally manipulated and reference wetlands located near the mine leases. Alkylated PAHs dominated the PAH profile in all types of samples in the three categories of wetlands. Median and maximum PAH concentrations, especially alkylated PAH concentrations, tended to be higher in sediments and insect larvae in experimental wetlands than in the other types of wetlands. Such was not the case for adult insects, which contained higher than expected levels of PAHs in the three types of ponds. Overlap in PAH concentrations in larvae among pond types suggests that any increase in PAH levels resulting from the addition of tailings and tailings water to wetlands would be modest. Biota-sediment accumulation factors were higher for alkylated PAHs than for their parent counterparts and were lower in experimental wetlands than in oil sands and reference wetlands. Research is needed to examine factors that affect the bioavailability of PAHs in oil sands tailings- or tailings water-amended wetlands.     

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.     

Measurements of semivolatile and particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a bus station and an urban tunnel in Salvador,Brazil

Motor vehicles constitute a significant source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emissions to the atmosphere. Particle-phase priority pollutant PAH concentrations and total suspended particle mass (TSP) were measured in the Lapa bus station and the Americo Simas Tunnel, located in the city of Salvador, Brazil. Separate samples were collected at the bus station at different times of the day, including rush- and non-rush-hour periods. The highest concentrations for nearly all 16 priority PAHs measured at the bus station were observed at 18:30 h, with chrysene showing the highest mean value (26.6 ng m-3). The highest average PAH concentrations measured in the tunnel were observed for pyrene (79.4 +/- 11.5 ng m-3) followed by fluoranthene (39.0 +/- 5.2 ng m-3) and chrysene (28.0 +/- 4.17 ng m-3). TSP levels reached 423 micrograms m-3 in the bus station, and values as high as 2 mg m-3 in the tunnel. The measured Salvador tunnel PAH profiles are very similar to the Salvador bus station profiles, and are similar to PAH profiles reported for the Kojouike Tunnel, located in Kurashiki City, Japan, and the Caldecott Tunnel, located in Berkeley, California.     

Concentrations, sources and temporal trends in atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a major conurbation

Concentrations of atmospheric PAH were separately determined in total suspended particulate matter and associated vapour phase in ambient air in Birmingham, UK. Samples of 24 h duration were taken simultaneously at two locations (the Bristol Road Observatory Site, BROS, and the Elms Road Observatory Site, EROS) on 44 separate occasions every one to two weeks between October 1999 and January 2001. BROS was 10 m from the busy Bristol Road, 800 m from EROS that was located within the "green space" of the University of Birmingham campus. With the exception of acenaphthene, average concentrations of all measured PAH at BROS exceed those at EROS, with a paired t-test revealing these roadside increments to be significant (p < 0.05) for 9 out of the 16 target PAH, demonstrating the importance of traffic emissions of PAH. Although the declines were not statistically significant (p > 0.05) except for phenanthrene and fluoranthene, concentrations of individual PAH at EROS between July and December inclusive in 1999 and 2000 fell by between 16 and 54% compared with those during the same months in 1997. Multiple linear regression of PAH concentrations against meteorological variables confirmed the influence of the Bristol Road on BROS but not EROS. Cluster analysis of PAH contamination in individual samples showed there to be two statistically distinct groups of samples. One group contained 15 samples, all of which displayed elevated concentrations. Examination of air mass back trajectory data, revealed that these PAH pollution episodes originate due to the combined effects of meteorology and local traffic emissions, rather than as a result of long-range transport. Eighteen 12 h samples were also taken at EROS over the period of the November Bonfire Night festivals of 1999 and 2000. These revealed significantly elevated PAH concentrations on the nights when ignition of bonfires and fireworks would be anticipated to peak. These results are relevant to assessments of the impact of similar "festivals of fire" elsewhere. In particular, retene (7-isopropyl-1-methylphenanthrene) concentrations were especially elevated, indicating it has possible utility as an indicator of wood combustion emissions.     

Distribution and health-risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils at a coking plant

Nineteen soil samples were collected in and around Songshan coking plant in Guangdong province of China and analyzed for eighteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The total concentration of PAHs ranged from 2.36 to 1146.39 mg kg(-1) dry weight, varying significantly among the sampling sites, most individual PAHs were correlated with each other. A cluster analysis was performed to examine the correlation of PAH distribution, five groups were observed with sample types in the coking plant. 2-3 ring PAHs were predominant in group I and II, while 4-5 ring PAHs showed great abundance in group III, IV and V, which contributed to the distance from the emission sources in the coking plant and the behaviors of particle-bound and gaseous PAHs. The ratios of Flu?:?(Flu + Pyr), BaA?:?(BaA + Chr), InP?:?(InP + BgP) and Ant?:?(Ant + Phen) ratios were 0.51-0.87, 0.16-0.89, 0.47-0.68 and 0.03-0.60, respectively. The total index of all studied soils was > 6, indicating that the source of the PAHs in coking plant soils were from the pyrolysis processes. Health risk assessments were carried out by dermal PAH exposure data to quantify cancer risk. The resultant lifetime exposure levels due to TEQ(BaP) desorbed onto skin for workers ranged from 2.25 × 10(-7) to 7.86 × 10(-5) mg kg(-1) per day, and the estimated cancer risks were between 8.45 × 10(-6) and 2.94 × 10(-3), indicating that the dermal exposures of PAHs to coking workers might be acceptable in most soil sites.