Abstract
The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination of urban, agricultural and forest soil samples was investigated from samples obtained in the surroundings of Valasske Mezirici. Valasske Mezirici is a town located in the north-east mountainous part of the Czech Republic, where a coal tar refinery is situated. 16 PAHs listed in the US EPA were investigated. Organic oxidizable carbon was also observed in the forest soils. The PAH concentrations ranged from 0.86-10.84 (with one anomalous value of 35.14) and 7.66-79.39 mg/kg dm in the urban/agricultural and forest soils, respectively. While the PAH levels in the urban/agricultural soils are within the range typically found in industrialized areas, the forest soils showed elevated PAH concentrations compared to other forest soils in Western and Northern Europe. The PAH concentrations and their molecular distribution ratios were studied as functions of the sample location and the meteorological history. The soils from localities at higher altitudes above sea level have the highest PAH concentrations, and the PAH concentrations decrease with increasing distance from the town.
Highlights
Many sites in the Czech Republic have been negatively affected by industrial pollution
The aim of this paper is to investigate the occurrence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban and agricultural soils that are directly impacted by human activity and in forest topsoils in the Valasske Mezirici Region in the Czech Republic, in the vicinity of a coal tar refinery and carbon black production
The urban, agricultural and forest soils in the region of Valasske Mezirici are contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are emitted through industrial processes, transport and local heating sources
Summary
Many sites in the Czech Republic have been negatively affected by industrial pollution. The PAHs form a group of chemical compounds that are ubiquitous in the environment [1] These compounds are well known for their characteristic properties, such as toxicity and carcinogenity, environmental persistence and tendency for bioaccumulation [1,2,3,4,5]. They form through the incomplete combustion or pyrolysis of organic matter, and their release into the atmosphere is connected with energy and heat production, local heating facilities, vehicle exhausts, refuse burning, coke ovens, and so on. After being emitted into the atmosphere, they are redistributed between the gas and particle phases, and subsequently deposited to the terrestrial environment through dry or (page number not for citation purposes)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
