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Abstract
The aim of the study was ecological risk assessment (ERA) of the agricultural soils located in the vicinity of the highly industrialized area and exposed to different emission sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In this study, we demonstrated the combination of generic and site-specific ERA approach for screening assessment and delineation of the area of a high ecological risk. Generic approach was based on a hazard quotient and indicated that 62% of the research area needs further assessment. For site-specific evaluation, the Triad approach was utilized. Information from three lines of evidence (LoE): chemical, ecotoxicological and ecological, was integrated into one environmental risk (EnvRI) index. The chemical risk was derived from toxic pressure coefficients based on the total PAHs concentration. The ecotoxicological LoE included an acute toxicity testing: the luminescent bacteria Aliivibrio fischeri activity in both liquid- and solid-phase samples and the ability of crustacean Thamnocephalus platyurus to food uptake. The ecological LoE comprised microbial parameters related to soil respiration and enzymatic activity. Integrated EnvRI index ranged from 0.44 to 0.94 and was mainly influenced by high values of chemical LoE risk, while the ecotoxicological and ecological LoE indicated no or low risk. Due to the relatively high uncertainty associated with the contradictory information given by LoEs, there is the need to confirm potential risk in a tier 2 analysis.
Highlights
Many organic and inorganic pollutants may be released into the soil as a result of anthropogenic activity and affect soil ecological functions (Swartjes 2011; Cachada et al 2016)
The rural regions are often located in the vicinity of highly urbanized/industrialized areas and may be exposed to emissions of various pollutants
The Triad method was used for the first time in Poland in evaluation of soils quality after flooding (Klimkowicz-Pawlas et al 2012); to our knowledge, this study presents the first application of the Triad approach to assess the ecological risk for the agricultural soils exposed to the long-time contamination
Summary
Many organic and inorganic pollutants may be released into the soil as a result of anthropogenic activity and affect soil ecological functions (Swartjes 2011; Cachada et al 2016). Contamination of agricultural soils may create a risk of transfer PAH compounds into the food chain For this reason, ensuring maintenance of high quality of production and the safety of farm produce is critical for human health (Cao et al 2013; Duan et al 2015). This is important in countries like Poland, where agricultural land covers a great part (46%) of the total territory (Maliszewska-Kordybach et al 2008; Central Statistical Office 2017). For assessing the risk from chemical contamination, the ecological risk assessment (ERA) procedures are recently applied
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