Research articles
ScienceAsia 46 (2020):ID 80-86 |doi:
10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.2020.013
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface soil
from the Guan River Estuary in China: Contamination,
source apportionment and health-risk assessment
Yingpeng Yua,*, Xiaoxiang Suna, Lili Zoua, Huabing Zhanga, Yuqing Liua, Min Liub
ABSTRACT: To analyse the distribution characteristics, potential sources and health risks of PAHs in the surface soil
of the Guan River Estuary Industrial Area, 30 samples along the Guan River were collected. Sixteen types of PAHs
were detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that the total content of the
16 PAHs (Σ16PAHs) ranged from 1212.8-12264.5 ng/g, and the arithmetic mean and median were 3504.8 ng/g and
2396.5 ng/g, respectively. The concentrations of 7 carcinogenic PAHs (Σ7carPAHs) ranged from 546.1-5742.3 ng/g,
accounting for 34-54% of the Σ16PAHs. The pollution of the PAHs was intermediate compared with that of other
industrial areas in China. Fluoranthene, pyrene and benzo[a] pyrene (BaP) are the main monomer PAHs. There was a
weak positive correlation between the total organic carbon and the PAHs, and a negative correlation between the PAHs
and the pH was found. The characteristic ratio and principal component analysis (PCA) show that the PAHs mainly
come from combustion sources, especially the combustion process of coal and coke from industrial areas. The TEQBaP
(toxic equivalency quantity relative to BaP) concentrations of 7 types of carcinogenic PAHs accounted for 99% of the
Σ16TEQBaP. According to the Canadian soil environmental quality standard, 87% of the sampling site?s PAH pollution
values exceeded the safety value, suggesting that there is a potential ecological risk in the Guan River Estuary industrial
area.
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| a |
School of Urban and Planning, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng 224007 China |
| b |
School of Grographic Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241 China |
* Corresponding author, E-mail: pyy.lzu@163.com
Received 28 Jun 2019, Accepted 31 Dec 2019
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