Main factors in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons accumulations in the long-term technogenic contaminated soil

Abstract

The PAHs transformation in the soils of the coal mining enterprises impact zones and thermal power plants remains poorly studied. In turn, coal mining can be considered as a primary cycle in the production of electricity. One of the main sources of negative environmental impact is the coal mining industry located on the territory of the upland in the south of the East European Plain. The features of PAHs accumulation in the soils of fuel and energy enterprises have been studied on the example of mines impact zones with different service life and the current coal-fired power plant. It was established that, regardless of the period and intensity of the emission source, as well as its current status, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) content in the soils of the impact zones was significantly higher than in the soils of the background territory. The content of low molecular and high molecular weight PAHs in the impact zones soils differed depending on the land use type, as well as the period and intensity of an industrial effect type. The pollutants content of in the soils of all considered impact zones significantly exceeded the background values and according to the low molecular weight PAHs content in the soils, they formed the following decreasing series: Mayskiy ≥ Ayutinsky > Novoshahtinsk > Power station > Background. According the high molecular weight PAHs content, the series changed to: Novoshahtinsk >Mayskiy ≥ Ayutinsky > Power station > Background. Soil pollution markers for enterprises of the fuel and energy complex were identified as pyrene and chrysene, which are part of coal, formed from the hydrocarbon sources. The influence of the power plant was accompanied by the benzo(g,h,i)perylene concentration increase.