Distributions and Sources of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Soils around a Chemical Plant in Shanxi, China

Haihua Jiao, Qi Wang, Nana Zhao, Bo Jin, Xuliang Zhuang and Zhihui Bai
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Haihua Jiao: Department of Biological Sciences and Technology, Changzhi University, Changzhi 046011, China
Qi Wang: Department of Biological Sciences and Technology, Changzhi University, Changzhi 046011, China
Nana Zhao: Department of Biological Sciences and Technology, Changzhi University, Changzhi 046011, China
Bo Jin: School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
Xuliang Zhuang: Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
Zhihui Bai: Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 14, issue 10, 1-19

Abstract: Background : Yearly the Shanxi coal chemical industry extracts many coal resources, producing at the same time many polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that are emitted as by-products of coal incomplete combustion. Methods : Sixty-six soil samples collected from 0 to 100 cm vertical sections of three different agricultural (AS), roadside (RS) and park (PS) functional soils around a chemical plant in Shanxi, China were analyzed for the presence of the 16 priority control PAHs. Results : The total concentrations (∑16PAHs) varied in a range of 35.4–116 mg/kg, 5.93–66.5 mg/kg and 3.87–76.0 mg/kg for the RS, PS and AS surface soil, respectively, and 5-ring PAHs were found to be dominant (44.4–49.0%), followed by 4-ring PAHs (15.9–24.5%). Moreover, the average value of ∑16PAHs decreased with the depth, 7.87 mg/kg (0–25 cm), 4.29 mg/kg (25–50 cm), 3.00 mg/kg (50–75 cm), 2.64 mg/kg (75–100 cm) respectively, in PS and AS soil vertical sections. Conclusions : The PAH levels in the studied soils were the serious contamination level (over 1.00 mg/kg) according to the Soils Quality Guidelines. The carcinogenic PAHs (ΣBPAHsBapeq) were approximately 14.8 times higher than the standard guideline level (0.60 mg/kg) and 90.3% of PAHs were produced by coal/wood/grass combustion processes.

Keywords: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); soil contamination; chemical plant; organic pollutants (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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