Post relocation of industrial sites for decades: Ascertain sources and human risk assessment of soil polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Abstract

As a persistent organic pollutant, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) may still residually pollute industrial sites after relocation. This study investigated the contamination status of PAHs in the topsoils of three industrial legacy sites (the Shougang industrial ruins, the original Beijing coking plant area, and an abandoned gas station) that relocated more than 10 years ago from downtown Beijing. The sources of PAHs in the soil were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed, and health risks were evaluated for different groups of people. The total concentration of 16 PAHs in the study area ranged from 371.1ngg-1 to 4073.9ngg-1. The pollution levels of the three study areas were abandoned gas station>Beijing coking plant>Shougang ruins. In terms of composition, low-ring aromatics accounted for the majority of the detected PAHs, and in the dry season, low-ring aromatics accounted for a higher proportion in the three areas than in the wet season. The comparison of the PAH diagnostic ratio and PMF model verification showed that the sources of PAHs in the Shougang ruins and the Beijing coking plant area were mainly those of biomass and coal combustion, accounting for 66.3% and 56.1% of the total detected PAHs, respectively; the PAH sources of the abandoned gas station storage tank area were largely that of petrol (33.9%) and diesel combustion (23.8%). Since these industrial sites were located in urban centers, this study also conducted a health risk assessment of the topsoil. The total carcinogenic risk range of the three contaminated sites was 1.41E-06 to 2.47E-05. Abandoned industrial sites have potential carcinogenic risks to human health. The government needs to conduct comprehensive risk assessments and remedial measures on soils of industrial legacy sites to achieve land reuse.