Bioavailability Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Research Articles

Increased oxygen content in biochar lowered bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons–related toxicity to various organisms

Agricultural or environmental application of biochar (BC) is connected with the introduction of biochar-derived components among which polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals are the most toxic. Their presence and bioavailability are crucial considering biochar toxicity. The effect of feedstock and pyrolysis temperature on the physicochemical properties of produced biochar and contaminant content was established and combined with toxicity to a broad range of living organisms. The obtained data revealed that predicting the bioavailability of PAHs using the total content is misleading. The toxicity was influenced by factors in the following way: the bioavailable PAHs > ash > total PAHs content in BC stressing the role of BC physicochemical characteristics. Among tested BC properties, surface functionalization, e.g. presence of oxygen-containing functional groups was crucial in revealing the toxicity. The data clearly indicate that additional research is required to determine BC’s impact on various organisms and performing one ecotoxicity test is not sufficient.

Evaluation and Modelling of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Bioavailability in Soils Affected by Coal Tar Asphalt

There are large masses of coal tar asphalt present in old roads, containing high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Uncertainty surrounding the risk they pose causes problems during road reconstruction and for the reuse of the asphalt present. To help elucidate potential risks, a parsimonious linear equilibrium partitioning model for the bioavailability of PAHs in soils contaminated by tar asphalt particles was developed. Furthermore, a set of partitioning coefficients for PAHs between sampled coal tar binders and water were determined experimentally, as well as measurements of freely dissolved concentrations using polyoxymethylene samplers in batch tests and column recirculation experiments with various mixtures of different soils (peat and sandy loam) and tar asphalts. The model predictions of freely dissolved concentrations were conservative and within an order of magnitude of measurements in both batch and column tests. The model presented here only relies on soil organic carbon content and the fraction coal tar binder in the soil to model PAH partitioning. This model could be used for more realistic. low tier risk assessments towards rational prioritization of sensitive areas for risk reduction efforts.

Potential Hazards of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Great Lakes Tributaries Using Water Column and Porewater Passive Samplers and Sediment Equilibrium Partitioning.

The potential for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-related effects in benthic organisms is commonly estimated from organic carbon-normalized sediment concentrations based on equilibrium partitioning (EqP). Although this approach is useful for screening purposes, it may overestimate PAH bioavailability by orders of magnitude in some sediments, leading to inflated exposure estimates and potentially unnecessary remediation costs. Recently, passive samplers have been shown to provide an accurate assessment of the freely dissolved concentrations of PAHs, and thus their bioavailability and possible biological effects, in sediment porewater and overlying surface water. We used polyethylene passive sampling devices (PEDs) to measure freely dissolved porewater and water column PAH concentrations at 55 Great Lakes (USA/Canada) tributary locations. The potential for PAH-related biological effects using PED concentrations were estimated with multiple approaches by applying EqP, water quality guidelines, and pathway-based biological activity based on in vitro bioassay results from ToxCast. Results based on the PED-based exposure estimates were compared with EqP-derived exposure estimates for concurrently collected sediment samples. The results indicate a potential overestimation of bioavailable PAH concentrations by up to 960-fold using the EqP-based method compared with measurements using PEDs. Even so, PED-based exposure estimates indicate a high potential for PAH-related biological effects at 14 locations. Our findings provide an updated, weight-of-evidence-based site prioritization to help guide possible future monitoring and mitigation efforts. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:1509-1523. © 2024 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

Predicting the bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in rhizosphere soil using a new novel in situ solid-phase microextraction technique

In situ measurement of the bioavailability of organic pollutants in soil is crucial for understanding their environmental behavior and assessing health risks. Due to the high heterogeneity of soil, microscale determination is crucial for achieving high accuracy, but few methods are available. In this study, microsized probes coated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) were used to measure the bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil in situ. The concentrations of PAHs enriched by the PDMS-coated probes correlated well with the results of bioassays using earthworms (R2 = 0.92–0.99) and ryegrass roots (R2 = 0.92–0.99). Compared with other chemical extraction methods, such as n-butanol extraction, the proposed method has advantages such as in situ operation, microvolume analysis, and negligible interference to the soil environment. In the soil rhizosphere zone, PAHs bioavailability decreased in the following order: rhizosphere > near-rhizosphere > far-rhizosphere. The bioavailability of PAHs in soil amended with biochar was also successfully characterized by the proposed method. Thus, this study developed an in situ and microscale method to predict the bioavailability of organic pollutants in contaminated soils and provides new insight into migration and transformation processes in rhizosphere soil.

Dissolved organic matter influences the indigenous bacterial community and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons biodegradation in soils

In polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contaminated soils, bioremediation is superior to other strategies owing to its low cost and environmental friendliness. However, dissolved organic matter (DOM) and indigenous bacterial communities can affect the efficiency of PAH-degrading bacteria (PDB). This study found that exogenous PDB (C1) including the genera Acinetobacter, Stenotrophomonas, and Comamonas, decreased the bacterial diversity of Alfisol, Ultisol, Inceptisol, and Mollisol, and DOM enhanced the diffusion of PDB and the bioavailability of PAH. In addition, bacteria preferred to ingest low molecular weight DOM fractions, and the abundances of lipid-like and protein-like substances decreased by 0.12–3.03 % and 1.73–4.60 %. The DOM fractions had a more marked influence on the indigenous bacteria than the exogenous PDB, and PDB dominated the PAH biodegradation process in the soils. More COO functional groups promoted the utilization of higher molecular weight-related homologue fractions by bacteria, and lower molecular weight fractions carrying more CH2 functional groups declined during biodegradation. This study investigated the variations in bacterial communities during biodegradation and revealed the effects of DOM fractions on biodegradation in PAH-contaminated soils at the molecular level. These results will promote the development of bioremediation strategies for organics-contaminated soil and provide guidance for prediction models of soil biodegradation kinetics.

Rice husk and its derived biochar assist phytoremediation of heavy metals and PAHs co-contaminated soils but differently affect bacterial community

In order to evaluate the feasibility of rice husk and rice husk biochar on assisting phytoremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals (HMs) co-contaminated soils, a 150-day pot experiment planted with alfalfa was designed. Rice husk and its derived biochar were applied to remediate a PAHs, Zn, and Cr co-contaminated soil. The effects of rice husk and biochar on the removal and bioavailability of PAHs and HMs, PAH-ring hydroxylating dioxygenase gene abundance and bacterial community structure in rhizosphere soils were investigated. Results suggested that rice husk biochar had better performance on the removal of PAHs and immobilization of HMs than those of rice husk in co-contaminated rhizosphere soil. The abundance of PAH-degraders, which increased with the culture time, was positively correlated with PAHs removal. Rice husk biochar decreased the richness and diversity of bacterial community, enhanced the growth of Steroidobacter, Bacillus, and Sphingomonas in rhizosphere soils. However, Steroidobacter, Dongia and Acidibacter were stimulated in rice husk amended soils. According to the correlation analysis, Steroidobacter and Mycobacterium may play an important role in PAHs removal and HMs absorption. The combination of rice husk biochar and alfalfa would be a promising method to remediate PAHs and HMs co-contaminated soil.

Increased concentration of PAH derivatives in biochar-amended soil observed in a long-term experiment

During biochar preparation or application some toxic substances may be formed. The established limitations of the content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) aim to monitor the fate of PAHs in the life cycle of biochar. The latest studies have revealed that besides PAHs, some of their derivatives with confirmed toxicity are formed. There has been no policy regards PAH derivatives in biochar yet. The aim of the presented studies was the estimation the changes in the content of PAHs and their derivatives during the agricultural application of biochar. A pot experiment with grass revealed that in a short time, both the content of PAHs and their derivatives was reduced. Similarly, when biochar was added to soil in a long-term experiment, the content of determined derivatives was below the limit of detection, whereas interestingly, the content of pristine PAHs increased with time. Co-addition of biochar and sewage sludge increased the content of PAHs and their derivatives indicating potential environmental hazard due to their presence. However, the key point is the estimation of the bioavailability of PAHs and their derivatives as only the bioavailable fraction is revealing the environmental hazard.

Enhanced Solubilization and Biodegradation of HMW-PAHs in Water with a Pseudomonas mosselii-Released Biosurfactant.

The treatment and reuse of wastewater are crucial for the effective utilization and protection of global water resources. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as one of the most common organic pollutants in industrial wastewater, are difficult to remove due to their relatively low solubility and bioavailability in the water environment. However, biosurfactants with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups are effective in overcoming these difficulties. Therefore, a biosurfactant-producing strain Pseudomonas mosselii MP-6 was isolated in this study to enhance the bioavailability and biodegradation of PAHs, especially high-molecular-weight PAHs (HMW-PAHs). FTIR and LC-MS analysis showed that the MP-6 surfactant belongs to rhamnolipids, a type of biopolymer, which can reduce the water surface tension from 73.20 mN/m to 30.61 mN/m at a critical micelle concentration (CMC = 93.17 mg/L). The enhanced solubilization and biodegradation of PAHs, particularly HMW-PAHs (when MP-6 was introduced), were also demonstrated in experiments. Furthermore, comprehensive environmental stress tolerance tests were conducted to confirm the robustness of the MP-6 biosurfactant, which signifies the potential adaptability and applicability of this biosurfactant in diverse environmental remediation scenarios. The results of this study, therefore, have significant implications for future applications in the treatment of wastewater containing HMW-PAHs, such as coking wastewater.

Concurrent assessment of diffusive and advective PAH movement strongly affected by temporal and spatial changes

Chemical movement influences exposure, remediation and interventions. Understanding chemical movement in addition to chemical concentrations at contaminated sites is critical to informed decision making. Using seepage meters and passive sampling devices we assessed both diffusive and advective flux of bioavailable polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at three time points, across two seasons, at a former creosote site in St. Helens, Oregon, United States. To our knowledge, this is the first time both diffusive and advective fluxes have been measured simultaneously at a contaminated site. Concentrations of 39 parent PAHs were determined by gas chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Across both seasons and all sites, diffusive flux of PAHs was up to three orders of magnitude larger than advective flux. Release of PAHs from sediments and water were identified, likely from legacy contamination, as well as deposition from the air into the site from contemporary and other sources. The majority of PAH movement was comprised of three and four ring PAHs. Chemical movement on the site was found to be spatially and temporally variable. Volatilization decreased and atmospheric deposition increased from summer to fall. At the locations with higher levels of contamination, sum PAH release from sediments decreased by more than two orders of magnitude from summer to late fall. These data reflect the spatial heterogeneity and temporal variability of this site and demonstrate the importance of seasonality in assessing chemical movement at contaminated sites. Results from this study can inform future legacy site assessments to optimize remediation strategies and assess remediation effectiveness.

The role of microplastics in the process of laccase-assisted phytoremediation of phenanthrene-contaminated soil

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are highly toxic organic pollutants widely distributed in terrestrial environments and laccase was considered as an effective enzyme in PAHs bioremediation. However, laccase-assisted phytoremediation of PAHs-contaminated soil has not been reported. Moreover, the overuse of plastic films in agriculture greatly increased the risk of co-existence of PAHs and microplastics in soil. Microplastics can adsorb hydrophobic organics, thus altering the bioavailability of PAHs and ultimately affecting the removal of PAHs from soil. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of laccase-assisted maize (Zea mays L.) in the remediation of phenanthrene (PHE)-contaminated soil and investigate the effect of microplastics on this remediation process. The results showed that the combined application of laccase and maize achieved a removal efficiency of 83.47 % for soil PHE, and laccase significantly reduced the accumulation of PHE in maize. However, microplastics significantly inhibited the removal of soil PHE (10.88 %) and reduced the translocation factor of PHE in maize (87.72 %), in comparison with PHE + L treatment. Moreover, microplastics reduced the laccase activity and the relative abundance of some PAHs-degrading bacteria in soil. This study provided an idea for evaluating the feasibility of the laccase-assisted plants in the remediation of PAHs-contaminated soil, paving the way for reducing the risk of secondary pollution in the process of phytoremediation.

Surfactant-enhanced anoxic degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in aged subsurface soil at high temperature (60 °C)

Thermally enhanced anoxic biodegradation is emerging as a promising method for removing PAHs from subsurface soil. However, some PAHs still remain in soil following remediation with thermally enhanced anoxic degradation due to low bioavailability of these residual PAHs. The effects of five surfactants (Tween 80, TX 100, Brij 30, SDS, and SDBS) on the desorption of PAHs, anoxic degradation of PAHs, and native bacteria in soil at high temperature (60 °C) were evaluated in this study. The desorption of PAHs in soil increased as surfactant concentration increased. Low doses of surfactants (0.08%, w/w) enhanced the growth of potential PAHs degrading bacteria and promoted the anoxic degradation of PAHs, whereas high doses of surfactants (0.3%–0.8%, w/w) displayed the opposite effect, and the degree of inhibition increased with increasing surfactant concentration. The results also indicated that the inhibitory effect of anionic surfactants (SDS and SDBS) on microbial growth and PAHs degradation is stronger than that of nonionic surfactants (Tween 80, TX 100 and Brij 30) at the same concentration. These results suggest a feasible way of enhancing the anoxic degradation of PAHs in soil where heat cannot be effectively utilized when in situ thermal desorption (ISTD) technology is used.

Degradation of benzo [a] pyrene in the soil enhanced by soapwort: The role of soapwort and functional microbial community

The limited bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils poses a challenge for their biodegradation. We hypotheses soapwort (Saponaria officinalis L.) as a factory in-situ providing biosurfactant, which could effectively promote the BaP removal by exogenous or native functional microbes. Rhizo-box and microcosm experiments were conducted to analyze the phyto-microbial remediation mechanism of soapwort, a plant that excretes biosurfactants known as saponins, and combined with two exogenous strains (P. chrysosporium and/or B. subtilis) for benzo[a]pyrene (BaP)-contaminated soils. The results revealed that the natural attenuation treatment (CK) BaP achieved only a 15.90% BaP removal rate after 100 days. In contrast, soapwort (SP), soapwort-bacteria (SPB), soapwort-fungus (SPF), soapwort- bacteria - fungus (SPM) mediated rhizosphere soils treatments yielded removal rates of 40.48%, 42.42%, 52.37%, and 62.57%, respectively. The analysis of the microbial community structure suggested that soapwort stimulated the introduction and native functional microorganisms, such as Rhizobiales, Micrococcales, and Clostridiales, which contributed to BaP removal via metabolic pathways. Furthermore, the efficient BaP removal was attributed to saponins, amino acids, and carbohydrates, which facilitated mobilization, solubilization of BaP, and microbial activity. In conclusion, our study highlights the potential of soapwort and specific microbial strains to effectively remediate PAH-contaminated soils.

Insights into relationships between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentration, bacterial communities and organic matter composition in coal gangue site

Coal mining usually brought polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contamination. Relationships between the concentration of PAHs, bacterial communities and soil environmental factors were important for bioremediation of PAHs in soil. Total 4 kinds of soil samples with different concentrations of PAHs were selected from 7 typical coal gangue（CG） sites in Huainan, Anhui Province. The relationships between microorganisms, dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition and PAHs concentration were systematically analyzed in this work. Total 11 kinds of PAHs were enriched in the soil surface layer. That was attributed to the strong binding of soil organic matter (SOM) to PAHs. PAHs contamination reduced the diversity of soil microbial. The abundance of PAHs-degrading genera such as Arthrobacter decreased with the increasing concentration of PAHs. Mycobacterium increased with the increasing concentration of PAHs in all samples. The microbial activities decreased with increasing concentration of PAHs. The increasing contents of LWM-PAHs and DOM were beneficial to improve the activities of soil microbial. The increasing DOM aromaticity was beneficial to improve the bioavailability of PAHs according to the correlation analysis between PAHs content and DOM structural parameters. The obtained results provide a basis for better understanding the contamination characteristics and microbial communities of coal gangue PAH-contaminated sites.

Determination and comparison of freely dissolved PAHs using different types of passive samplers in freshwater

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are well-known for their recalcitrant properties and biotoxicity in organisms, leading to serious environmental and health problems. Despite various analytical methods available, accurate determination of the bioavailable fraction is warranted in order to evaluate the precise toxic potentials of these compounds. Currently, the passive sampler is used worldwide to measure the bioavailable PAHs in the environment using the equilibrium partitioning principle. In this study, we co-deployed different types of passive samplers, which are linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE), to determine freely dissolved concentrations (Cfree) of PAHs using the performance reference compounds (PRCs) in Kentucky Lake (KL), Ohio River (OH), and Mississippi River (MS). The fractional equilibrium (feq) of BeP-d12 was observed to be high in LLDPE compared with LDPE in OH and MS. In contrast, the feq of all PRCs was similar in both passive samplers in KL due to slow flow velocity. The sum of average freely dissolved PAH concentrations in LLDPE and LDPE during the exposure period were 2.89 and 1.27 ng/L in KL, 8.13 and 3.31 ng/L in OH, and 5.19 and 3.82 ng/L in MS, respectively. The results revealed that LLDPE is a suitable alternative tool to LDPE for both short-term and long-term monitoring of PAHs.

Application of the PDMS Passive Sampling Method to Assess Bioavailability and Health Risks Associated with PAH-Contaminated Soil

Integrating bioavailability into risk assessments is an effective way to objectively assess human health risks. In this study, the bioavailability of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in contaminated soil from a coking plant was evaluated using the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) passive sampling method. The results showed that the bioavailability factor (BAF) of each PAH, predicted using PDMS fibers, ranged from 0.46% to 9.74%. The PDMS passive sampling method was more stable in testing the bioavailability of PAHs with more than 4 benzene rings; a preliminary relationship was established between the BAF and the log value of the octanol–water partition coefficient (logKow). After considering their bioavailability, the carcinogenic risks (CRs) and non-carcinogenic hazard quotients (HQs) associated with the 16 PAHs were reduced by 1 to 2 orders of magnitude. Only the health risks associated with benzo(a)pyrene and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene exceeded the acceptable level. The PDMS passive sampling method provides a useful tool for estimating oral bioavailability, and incorporating its results into human exposure testing can help to refine the health risk assessment of contaminants through oral ingestion.

Total and bioavailable polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in unused and operated heat-not-burn tobacco products and conventional cigarettes

Tobacco product waste poses a global environmental issue, affecting urban and coastal areas alike. The present studies report, for the first time, the total and bioavailable polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentrations in unused and operated heat-not-burn (HnBs) tobacco products. To enable direct comparisons, identical sets of studies were conducted using conventional cigarettes (CCs). Five low-molecular PAHs were determined in HnBs at total concentrations that were of the same order before and after operation (Σ5PAH = 47.37 ± 3.44 ng unit−1 and Σ5PAH = 69.36 ± 5.78 ng unit−1 in unused and used HnBs, respectively). The incomplete combustion of organics during smoking of CCs, yielded substantially higher amounts of PAHs with their sum (Σ10PAHs = 1449 ± 113 ng unit−1) being >20 times larger than those in HnBs. The tobacco and filter were the most contaminated parts in HnBs. In unused CCs, tobacco had the highest PAHs load and after smoking, the spent filter was the most contaminated part, containing ∼80% of the total amount of PAHs. Naphthalene was the most abundant PAH detected in all tobacco products. Despite the high total PAH concentrations found in smoked CCs, the sums of the bioavailable PAH concentrations were of the same order in all tested tobacco products (Σ5PAH = 61.38 ± 1.79 ng unit−1 in unused HnBs, Σ5PAH = 70.87 ± 7.67 ng unit−1 in used HnBs, Σ4PAH = 66.92 ± 5.95 ng unit−1 in unused CCs, and Σ6PAH = 47.94 ± 1.26 ng unit−1 in smoked CCs). This finding was related to smoking affecting PAHs’ leachability from CCs and delaying their desorption from the solid matrix. Adjusting the pH, salt and humic acids content at environmentally relevant values did not affect PAHs leaching at 24 h of soaking. Finally, the leaching behavior of PAHs in natural waters (river water, rainwater, and seawater) was found similar to that in ultrapure water, experimentally verifying the ability of tobacco product waste to leach PAHs into the aquatic environment.

Influencing factors of bioaugmentation treatment of PAH-contaminated soils in slurry bioreactors

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of contaminants with low bioavailability and biodegradability. As a result, removing PAHs from contaminated soils is often inefficient. In this study, soils spiked with fluoranthene and pyrene were inoculated with Aeromonas sp. BCP-3, a newly isolated strain from coke-plant sludge, and treated in slurry bioreactors. The removal of PAHs was significantly affected by aeration rate, slurry water-soil mass ratio, stirring rate, temperature, and the concentration of Tween-80. Such effects were attributed to changes in BCP-3 growth, PAHs solid-liquid mass transfer, and slurry particle size. Notably, under optimal conditions (i.e., aeration rate of 1.5 L/min, temperature of 30 °C, stirring rate of 200 rpm, water-soil mass ratio of 1.5:1, and Tween-80 concentration of 1.3 %), 96.3 % and 97.2 % of initially spiked fluoranthene and pyrene were removed within 12 days, respectively. A PAH-contaminated soil was collected from a local coking plant and treated under the same conditions, except for the Tween-80 concentration. For the real soil, the Tween-80 concentration was 4 % to ensure a significant proportion of PAHs released into the liquid phase. Twenty-one days after inoculation of BCP-3, the removal efficiencies of low molecular weight PAHs and high molecular weight PAHs were 82.2 % and 51.8 %, respectively. The removal efficiencies of PAHs were significantly higher than the slurry without BCP-3 or HgCl2-sterilized slurry. BCP-3 improved the bioavailability and biodegradability of PAHs, resulting in effective PAH removal in slurry bioreactors. Overall, successful bioaugmentation was achieved with the addition of Tween-80 and the optimization of operating conditions.

Insights into the mechanisms underlying the biodegradation of phenanthrene in biochar-amended soil: from bioavailability to soil microbial communities

The dynamic effect of biochar amendment in contaminated soil on the bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and microbial communities and how it comprehensively affects PAH biodegradation remain unclear. This study investigated the effects of wheat straw-derived biochars obtained at 300 and 500 °C at different amendment levels (0.03% and 0.3%) on the mineralization kinetics of phenanthrene with different initial concentrations (2 and 20 mg kg−1) in soil by indigenous microorganisms. The results revealed that the addition of biochar inhibited both the rates and extents of mineralization in low-concentration phenanthrene-contaminated soil (PLS) by 38.9–78.3% and 23.9–53.6%, respectively. This was because biochar amendment in the PLS greatly reduced the bioavailable fraction of phenanthrene for degradation owing to its strong sorption and also decreased that to specific degrading bacterial genera, which hindered their growth and reduced their abundances by 1.37–36.6%. However, biochar addition into the soil contaminated with high concentrations of phenanthrene (PHS) resulted in its effective mineralization and enhanced mineralization rates and extents at high amendment levels by 32.4–86.7% and 32.0–44.7%, respectively. This was because biochar amendment in the PHS significantly promoted the abundances of the total bacterial communities (29.9–80.4%) and potential degrading genera (1.89–25.9%) by providing nutrients and stimulated the specific PAH-degradative nidA gene abundance by 1–2 times. These findings will guide the use of biochar to remediate soils with different PAH pollution levels based on the two roles that they play (i.e., immobilizing PAHs or facilitating PAH degradation).Graphical

The efficiency of the hard wood origin biochar addition on the PAHs bioavailability and stability in sediment

Polluted sediments with organic pollutants like PAHs represent a potential danger to environment, human health and potential obstacle to water management. Removal of polluted sediment provides the potential for reuse of nutrients from sediment, for crop production or for materials in building industry. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of using hard wood biochar for the immobilization of bioaccessible polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in historically polluted sediment. The main question is would carbon materials' presence (in this case biochar) have influence on PAH bioavailability and their stability in sediment. This is important because the world trend is to go for sediment reuse in agriculture purposes, and biochar is proven to be good amendment for increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) stabilization and increasing soil carbon stock. The manuscript provides a detailed consideration of the supersorption performance of the biochar and PAH sequestration in different types of PAHs with aging period up to 6 months in ex situ treatment. The efficiency of biochar to sequester the PAHs was evaluated by assessing the bioavailable fraction (Frap) using desorption method with Amberlite XAD4 resin assistance. In untreated sediment, Frap ranged from 22% up to 42% for 2–4 rings, and around 9% for 5–6 rings PAHs. 180-days amendment of biochar led to a further decrease in the bioavailable portion of PAHs. The results of this laboratory study shown that biochar produced from hard wood gave promising results for binding and further stabilizing PAH in historically polluted sediments.

State of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination in the Saint John Harbour, New Brunswick, Canada

This study examined the concentrations and compositions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contaminants in the surficial sediments of the Saint John Harbour (SJH) and assessed PAH exposure to local aquatic biota. Our findings suggest that sedimentary PAH contamination is heterogeneous and widespread in the SJH, with several sites exceeding the Canadian and NOAA recommended guidelines for the protection of aquatic life. Despite high concentrations of PAHs at some sites, there was no indication that local nekton was affected. Lack of a biological response may be due in part to a low bioavailability of sedimentary PAHs, presence of confounding factors (e.g., trace metals), and/or adaptation of local wildlife to the historic PAH contamination in this region. Overall, although no indication of effects to wildlife was observed with the data collected in the present study, continued efforts should be made to remediate highly contaminated areas and reduce the prevalence of these compounds.