Measurement of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a Chinese brownfield redevelopment site: The case of Shenyang

Abstract

China's rapid urbanization and industrialization has resulted in many urban brownfields.To limit urban sprawl and avoid use of valuable greenfields, brownfield redevelopment has become a development strategy for Chinese cities. However, poor understanding of brownfield redevelopment has led many urban planners to pay scant attention to brownfield site soil contamination. This inattentiveness has led to both ecological and residential health risks. Investigating soil quality is necessary for effective urban ecological system design and mitigation. This paper investigates spatial allocation and concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the city of Shenyang through a case study in its former Tiexi industrial region, a typical brownfield redevelopment site. The research findings indicate that serious PAHs pollution exists due to previous and current industrial activities and transportation volatile emissions. These types of research findings are critical to ecological engineering efforts that need to incorporate local stakeholders and ecology so that an integrated effort can be made to mitigate the impacts of PAHs.