Distribution and Source of Atmospheric Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Nitropolycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Tieling City, Liaoning Province, a Typical Local City in Northeast China

Ning Tang,Takayuki Kameda,Qiuhua Liu,Lijun Dong,Kazuichi Hayakawa,Akira Toriba,Kenji Tamura,Ruonan Ji,Xuemei Zhang,Yuki Araki

doi:10.5572/ajae.2009.3.1.052

Abstract

Airborne particulates were collected in three different size fractions (>7 <TEX>${\mu}m$</TEX>; 2.1-7 <TEX>${\mu}m$</TEX>; < 2.1 <TEX>${\mu}m$</TEX>) by using Andersen low-volume air samplers at three sites in Tieling city, Liaoning Province, a typical local city in northeast China, in every season during the period from July 2003 to May 2004. Nine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and seven nitropolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) in the airborne particulates were determined by HPLC with fluorescence and chemiluminescence detection, respectively. The mean total concentrations of the nine PAHs and seven NPAHs were highest at The mixed residential and light industrial site, and lowest at the residential site near the suburbs. At all sites, more than 70% of the total PAHs and more than 60% of the total NPAHs were found in the finest particulate (< 2.1 <TEX>${\mu}m$</TEX>) fraction. Both cluster analysis and several diagnostic ratios showed that the major contributors of PAHs and NPAHs in airborne particulates were coal combustion systems such as domestic stoves and coal boilers in all seasons in Tieling city.

Highlights

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nitropolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) are air pollutants, and many of them have carcinogenic and/ or mutagenic properties (Matsumoto et al, 1998; Tokiwa et al, 1986)
We previously studied characteristic features of atmospheric PAHs and NPAHs in two typical big cities, Shenyang and Distribution and Source of Atmospheric Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Nitropolycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons 53
Atmospheric PAHs and NPAHs that originated from coal combustion systems were detected in every season at three sites in Tieling city as a typical farmingcity

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nitropolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) are air pollutants, and many of them have carcinogenic and/ or mutagenic properties (Matsumoto et al, 1998; Tokiwa et al, 1986). The main contributors of atmospheric PAHs and NPAHs in Shenyang city were automobiles and domestic heating in summer and winter, respectively. The main contributors of atmospheric PAHs and NPAHs in Fushun city were factories in all seasons and domestic heating in winter (Lin et al, 2005; Tang et al, 2005). The information obtained from Shenyang and Fushun cities is enough to evaluate the pollution level and behaviors of atmospheric PAHs and NPAHs in commercial and industrial cities. Airborne particulates were collected in Tieling city as is a typical farming city in Liaoning Province and nine PAHs and twelve NPAHs in the airborne particulates were quantified to clarify the pollution level and behaviors of PAHs and NPAHs in Tieling city

EXPERIMENTAL

2 Analytical Procedures and Quality Control

AND DISCUSSION

CONCLUSIONS