Abstract
A sedimentary record of the 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) pollutants from Dongping Lake, north China, is presented in this study. The influence of regional energy structure changes for 2–6-ring PAHs was investigated, in order to assess their sources and the impact of socioeconomic developments on the observed changes in concentration over time. The concentration of the ΣPAH16 ranged from 77.6 to 628.0 ng/g. Prior to the 1970s, the relatively low concentration of ΣPAH16 and the average presence of 44.4% 2,3-ring PAHs indicated that pyrogenic combustion from grass, wood, and coal was the main source of PAHs. The rapid increase in the concentration of 2,3-ring PAHs between the 1970s and 2006 was attributed to the growth of the urban population and the coal consumption, following the implementation of the Reform and Open Policy in 1978. The source apportionment, which was assessed using a positive matrix factorization model, revealed that coal combustion was the most important regional source of PAHs pollution (>51.0%). The PAHs were mainly transported to the site from the surrounding regions by atmospheric deposition rather than direct discharge.
Highlights
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) which are ubiquitously present in the environment [1]
The present study aims to (1) investigate the residual levels and temporal distribution of PAHs in sediment core from a typical inland shallow lake, Dongping Lake, located in the north of China, (2) speculate on the possible PAH sources in the undisturbed sediment profiles in combination with a detailed chronology study, and (3) reconstruct the historical trends of PAH contamination related to the economic development in the region
The historical variation of PAH pollution in the sediment core of Dongping Lake was investigated in this study
Summary
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) which are ubiquitously present in the environment [1]. The PAHs discharged into the aquatic environment are prone to combining with fine particles, being deposited into sediments due to their hydrophobic nature and resulting low solubility [12,13]. This makes sediments an important sink for PAHs, which directly affects the dwelling organisms and aquatic environment safety [14,15,16]
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