Presence of Priority Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Chromium, Copper and Lead in Two selected Brownfield Sites in United Kingdom

L.A Seniyat,L.C Batty,J.C Renshaw

doi:10.4314/jasem.v25i12.3

Abstract

In recent years, concerns about adverse effects of increasing land contamination paralleled with the increasing demand for land has emphasized need for sustainable remediation strategies. Soil samples were collected from two brownfield sites, in Saltley, Birmingham and Swansea, South Wales, United Kingdom and analysed to establish the extent of contamination by priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds. Saltley site had a total PAH concentration of 41.0 mg kg-1 with high concentrations of phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene and benzo[a]pyrene, total benzo[a]pyrene equivalent value of 6.0 mg kg-1 and total carcinogenic PAH of 19.0 mg kg-1. At the Swansea site, total PAH concentration ranged from 5.0 – 85.0 mg kg-1 with pyrene, fluoranthene, benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[a]pyrene as the predominant PAHs, total benzo[a]pyrene equivalent value of 0.9 – 2.0 mg kg-1 and total carcinogenic PAH concentration of 2.6 – 11.0 mg kg-1. Heavy metal concentrations were above the ambient background concentrations for urban/industrial area. Both brownfield sites had a mixture of PAH and heavy metal contamination in varying concentrations with implication for the selection of efficient remedial strategies to enable their redevelopment.

Highlights

Technological advancement and industrialization has led to the inadvertent release of various contaminants into the environments (Patel et al, 2020)
Studies have concentrations are found in urban soils, roadside soils reported the effects of heavy metals on different and even higher concentrations in contaminated sites enzymes involved in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) degradation (Gran-Scheuch such as old gas works worldwide including in the et al, 2020)
This study was undertaken to determine the extent of PAH and heavy metal contamination in typical brownfield sites in the United Kingdom

Summary

Introduction

Technological advancement and industrialization has led to the inadvertent release of various contaminants into the environments (Patel et al, 2020). The increasing number of contaminated as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and/or sites is paralleled by an increase in land demands for inorganic compounds such as heavy metals of purposes such as agriculture, housing, recreation and anthropogenic origin (Glick, 2010; Antonio et al, infrastructure (Luo et al, 2009). PAHs are naturally occurring effects of contamination while meeting land demands, compounds, prolonged use of fuels, industrial many countries including the United Kingdom emissions, car exhausts, incineration and atmospheric promote remediation of derelict sites known as deposition has made PAHs ubiquitous environmental brownfields for redevelopment instead of using contaminants (USEPA, 2008, Nam et al, 2009). Presence of metals at background concentrations in there are few studies on PAHs and metals cosoils, anthropogenic activities such as mining, fuel contamination in brownfields despite their adverse processing and traffic emissions are important sources effects on different organisms and remediation of metals (Nadal, et al, 2009).

Methods

Results

Conclusion