Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Surface Sediments of Northern Taihu Lake and the Coupling with the Environment

Abstract

This research mainly is about the ecological risk and the distribution features of the PAHs in the sediment of Taihu lake as well as the source of PAHs by studying 38 sediment samples of the Taihu Lake. The results show the 16 PAHs which the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released as priority pollutants in sediments were detected in sediments of Taihu Lake .PAHs in surface sediments at the study area are mainly from the combustion of wood and coal and pyrolysis of fossil fuels; high ring compounds, on behalf of fossil fuels, on the conditions of pyrolysis and high temperature, accounts the total of PAHs for 75.1%.The ecological risk of PAHs is relatively low in surface sediments at the study area, but the river estuary Naphthalene, Acenaphthene, Acenaphthylene, Fluorene, Phenanthrene, Anthracene, at partial the sampling points in the entry of the river, are exceeding to the corresponding TEL, may have a negative effect on the ecological environment.