Characterization of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Different Size Fractions in Deposited Road Particles (DRPs) from Lake Biwa Area, Japan

Abstract

Deposited road particles (DRPs) collected from 13 heavily traveled roadways in an urban area of Southern Lake Biwa, Japan, were analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in seven different particle size fractions (< or = 20 to 1000-2000 microm) and evaluated for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) ligand activity by using a yeast bioassay. The mean compositions of individual PAHs to total PAH concentrations in different particle size fractions were 19-21% for pyrene, which was the most dominant component, 14-16% for fluoranthene, and 7-13% for benzo[g,h,i]perylene, which were the next dominant components. The total PAH distribution pattern in different particle size fractions of DRPs was different from the organic matter distribution pattern which increased with decreasing particle size of DRPs, and could be explained by the differences in their sources. Moreover, AhR ligand activities were observed in the DRP extracts of all size fractions. The activity of the DRP extracts from the smallest size fraction was approximately 5 times more potent than that of the largest size fraction in a yeast AhR ligand activity assay. The mean contribution (%) of benzo[k]-fluoranthene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, and benzo[a]pyrene to the AhR activity of DRP extracts in all size fractions was 1.43-4.11%, 1.63-3.53%, 0.63-1.69%, and 0.31-1.42%, respectively. Although the contribution of PAHs to AhR ligand activity presented in the DRP extracts was relatively low (below 10%), it may be best to remove these DRPs before discharge to receiving water environments.