Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Fluxes Research Articles

Atmospheric deposition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Shanghai: the spatio-temporal variation and source identification

This study investigated the dry and wet deposition fluxes of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Shanghai, China. The flux sources were traced based on composition and spatio-temporal variation. The results show that wet deposition concentrations of PAHs ranged from 0.07 to 0.67 mg·L–1 and were correlated with temperature (P<0.05). Dry deposition of PAHs concentrations ranged from 3.60–92.15 mg·L–1 and were higher in winter and spring than in summer and autumn. The annual PAH average fluxes were 0.631 mg·m–2·d–1 and 4.06 mg·m–2·d–1 for wet and dry deposition, respectively. The highest wet deposition of PAH fluxes was observed in summer, while dry deposition fluxes were higher in winter and spring. Atmospheric PAHs were deposited as dry deposition in spring and winter, yet wet deposition was the dominant pathway during summer. Total atmospheric PAH fluxes were higher in the northern areas than in the southern areas of Shanghai, and were also observed to be higher in winter and spring. Annual deposition of atmospheric PAHs was about 10.8 t in across all of Shanghai. Wet deposition of PAHs was primarily composed of two, three, or four rings, while dry deposition of PAHs was composed of four, five, or six rings. The atmospheric PAHs, composed of four, five, or six rings, primarily existed in the form of particulates. Coal combustion and vehicle emissions were the dominant sources of PAH in the observed area of downtown Shanghai. In suburban areas, industrial pollution, from sources such as coke oven, incinerator, and oil fired power plant, was as significant as vehicle emissions in contributing to the deposition of PAHs.

Sources and chronology of combustion-derived pollution to Shilianghe Reservoir, eastern China: Evidences from PAHs profiles, As, Hg, Pb and Pb isotopes

The sedimentary records of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), lead (Pb) and stable Pb isotopic ratios were studied in a sediment core collected from Shilianghe Reservoir in eastern China. Accumulations and distributions of these pollutants were measured in terms of PAHs concentrations, PAHs fluxes, and enrichment factor (EF) of Hg, As, Pb and Pb isotopic ratios. The accumulations showed a synchronous trend throughout the core, due to close correlation with rapid economic and industrial development of the catchment, Linyi City in eastern China. The results from PAH isomer ratios reveal that PAHs in sediments are dominantly from anthropogenic pyrogenic sources, mainly from the combustion of coal and biomass. Furthermore, the Pb isotopic composition clearly indicates that coal combustion dust mainly contributed to the Pb burden in the reservoir sediments. Based on mixing end-member model of Pb isotopic ratios, contributions of coal combustion dust are ranged from 31% to 62%, mainly from anthropogenic Pb sources. The contribution of leaded gasoline was lower than average at 25%. In addition, a steady increase in the contribution from coal combustion sources was found in the sediment core, while the contribution of leaded gasoline showed a decline in recent decades, due to the phase-out of leaded gasoline in China. Capsule abstractPAHs, Hg, As and Pb burden in a reservoir of China were chronicled. Increasing coal combustion dust is responsible for contamination of lake by end-member model of Pb isotopic ratios.

Dry and wet deposition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and comparison with typical media in urban system of Shanghai, China

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were studied in dry and wet deposition samples collected at urban and suburban sites of Shanghai, China from April 2014 to April 2015. Average wet deposition fluxes of PAHs were higher than dry deposition (62.6 ± 41.5 vs. 26.9 ± 14.4 μg/m2/day). However, dry deposition removed more PAHs than wet deposition (69% vs. 31%) due to much shorter durations of wet deposition. The highest dry and wet deposition fluxes were in fall and winter, respectively. The highest amount of dry deposition was in fall and the highest of wet deposition was in summer. The contribution of wet deposition to total deposited PAHs in Shanghai, East China was higher than that in northern China and lower than that in southern China. The difference can be explained by both precipitation amount and removal efficiency (washout ratio). Average dry deposition velocity and washout ratio of particle-associated PAHs were 5.2 cm/s and 5.8 × 104, respectively. Four sources of deposited PAHs were unraveled by positive matrix factorization (PMF) model: traffic, coal combustion, coking and volatilization, contributing 28.7%, 24.6%, 23.7% and 23.0%, respectively. More contribution of traffic and less coal combustion and volatilization were found at urban than at suburban site. As the connection between aerosol and surface soil, deposition had a different PAH composition from those in the two sides, containing more low MW PAHs. That arose the concern that dry deposition velocity and particle washout ratio could be overestimated if coarse particulate matter was excluded from the calculation. Although deposition has been considered as the predominant pathway of PAHs to urban surface system, the PAH composition in street dust differed drastically from that in deposition. This indicated that other sources (e.g. traffic) in urban system could have a greater contribution to PAHs than it had been identified in deposition samples.

Distribution, diffusive fluxes, and toxicity of heavy metals and PAHs in pore water profiles from the northern bays of Taihu Lake.

Pore water plays a more significant role than do sediments in pollutant cycling dynamics. Also, concentrations of pollutants in pore water provide important information about their bioavailability or eco-toxicity; however, very few studies have focused on this topic. In this study, four duplicate sediment cores from three typical northern bays as well as the central part of Taihu Lake were collected to investigate the distribution, diffusive fluxes, and toxicity of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in pore water profiles, which will be good in understanding the mobility and toxicity of these toxic pollutants and achieving better environmental management. The diffusive fluxes of heavy metals across the sediment-water interface was estimated through Fick's First Law, and the toxicity of heavy metals and PAHs in pore water was assessed by applying a water quality index (interstitial water toxicity criteria unit, IWCTU) and a hazard index (HI), respectively. The average concentrations of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in surface pore water were 18.8, 23.4, 12.0, 13.5, and 42.5μgL-1, respectively. Also, concentrations of the selected heavy metals in both overlying water and pore water from Taihu Lake were all lower than the standard values of the environmental quality standards for surface water. The concentrations as the pore water depth increased, and the highest detected concentrations of heavy metals were recorded between 3 and 5cm below the sediment surface. The average diffusive fluxes of these metals were 27.3, 24.8, 7.03, 7.81, and -3.32μg (m2 day)-1, respectively, indicating export from sediment into overlying water, with the exception of Zn. There was a potential risk of toxicity, mainly from Pb and Cu, indicating that heavy metals in pore water had slight to moderate impact on sediment-dwelling organisms by values of the IWCTU and the Nemeraw index. The total PAH concentrations in pore water were higher than those in overlying water, and such gradient implies a potential flux of PAHs from pore water to overlying water. The average HI value of PAHs in surface pore water showed no or low ecological risk. While there may be occasional risk due to the HI values in some sites being greater than 1, the dominant contributors were carcinogenic PAHs. Because of their potential biological impact, heavy metals and PAHs and their comprehensive toxic effects in pore water should be given priority attention to keep the safety of Taihu Lake.

Role of environmental factors and microorganisms in determining the fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the marine environment.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread in marine ecosystems and originate from natural sources and anthropogenic activities. PAHs enter the marine environment in two main ways, corresponding to chronic pollution or acute pollution by oil spills. The global PAH fluxes in marine environments are controlled by the microbial degradation and the biological pump, which plays a role in particle settling and in sequestration through bioaccumulation. Due to their low water solubility and hydrophobic nature, PAHs tightly adhere to sediments leading to accumulation in coastal and deep sediments. Microbial assemblages play an important role in determining the fate of PAHs in water and sediments, supporting the functioning of biogeochemical cycles and the microbial loop. This review summarises the knowledge recently acquired in terms of both chronic and acute PAH pollution. The importance of the microbial ecology in PAH-polluted marine ecosystems is highlighted as well as the importance of gaining further in-depth knowledge of the environmental services provided by microorganisms.

Pollution status of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments from the Yangtze River Estuary and its adjacent coastal zone

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are mainly produced by incomplete combustion and are used as indicators of anthropogenic activities on the environment. This study analyses the PAHs level in the Yangtze River Estuary (YRE), an important component of Yangtze River and a developed and populated region in China. Surface sediments were collected from 77 sites at the YRE and its adjacent coastal zone (IACZ) for a comprehensive study of PAHs. Kriging interpolation technology and Positive matrix factorization (PMF) model were applied to explore the spatial distribution and sources of PAHs. Concentrations of 16 PAHs (ΣPAHs) varied from 27.2 ng g−1 to 621.6 ng g−1 dry weight, with an average value of 158.2 ng g−1. Spatially, ΣPAHs exhibited wide fluctuation and exhibited an increasing tendency from north to south. In addition, ΣPAHs exhibited a decreasing trend with increasing distance between the estuary and IACZ. The deposition flux of PAHs indicated that more than 107.8 t a−1 PAHs was deposited in the study area annually. The results of the PMF model revealed that anthropogenic activities were the main sources of PAHs in the study area. Vehicle emissions and marine engines were the most important sources and accounted for 40.9% of the pollution. Coal combustion, petrogenic sources, and wood combustion were other sources that contributed 23.9%, 23.6%, and 11.5%, respectively. The distribution patterns of PAHs in the YRE and IACZ were influenced by many complicated factors such as sediment grain size, hydrodynamics and so on.

PAH and OPAH Flux during the Deepwater Horizon Incident.

Passive sampling devices were used to measure air vapor and water dissolved phase concentrations of 33 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 22 oxygenated PAHs (OPAHs) at four Gulf of Mexico coastal sites prior to, during and after shoreline oiling from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DWH). Measurements were taken at each site over a 13 month period, and flux across the water-air boundary was determined. This is the first report of vapor phase and diffusive flux of both PAHs and OPAHs during the DWH. Vapor phase sum PAH and OPAH concentrations ranged between 6.6 and 210 ng/m(3) and 0.02 and 34 ng/m(3) respectively. PAH and OPAH concentrations in air exhibited different spatial and temporal trends than in water, and air-water flux of 13 individual PAHs was shown to be at least partially influenced by the DWH incident. The largest PAH volatilizations occurred at the sites in Alabama and Mississippi at nominal rates of 56 000 and 42 000 ng/m(2) day(-1) in the summer. Naphthalene was the PAH with the highest observed volatilization rate of 52 000 ng/m(2) day(-1) in June 2010. This work represents additional evidence of the DWH incident contributing to air contamination, and provides one of the first quantitative air-water chemical flux determinations with passive sampling technology.

Characterization, Distribution, and Source Analysis of Metals and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) of Atmospheric Bulk Deposition in Shanghai, China

The bulk deposition of both PAHs and metals is a significant, mounting issue for the urban ecological environment. However, studies generally performed on these pollutants have focused on the regions surrounding a pollution source; thus, it most likely overestimated pollutants in the cities. Therefore, 72 atmospheric bulk deposition samples were collected from six sites located along a transect from the suburbs to the city center in Shanghai over a 1-year period (February 1, 2012 to January 31, 2013). The seasonal variation, spatial distribution, and sources of multiple metals (Al, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb, K, Na, and Mg) and 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds were determined. The results indicated that the annual average rate of dust deposition in Shanghai was 43,100 ± 54,800 mg/m2/year. There were significant or high enrichments of Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb, and higher depositional fluxes were observed for Zn, Pb, and Cd in the Huangpu district and for Cu in the Minhang district. The deposition fluxes of the PAHs exhibited the following order: urban fringe zone > city center > rural zone (background site). However, unlike in northern Chinese cities, the high-molecular-weight PAHs accounted for most of the PAHs. Furthermore, there were higher depositional fluxes of PAHs in March, July, and October. Overall, the factors influencing urban air quality may include construction, fossil fuel combustion, the abrasion of tires and brake linings (directly related to traffic), the corrosion of galvanized protection barriers, and increasing population density.

Spatio-temporal variations and influencing factors of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in atmospheric bulk deposition along a plain-mountain transect in western China

Ten atmospheric bulk deposition (the sum of wet and dry deposition) samplers for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were deployed at a plain-mountain transect (namely PMT transect, from Daying to Qingping) in Chengdu Plain, West China from June 2007 to June 2008 in four consecutive seasons (about every three months). The bulk deposition fluxes of ∑15-PAHs ranged from 169.19 μg m−2 yr−1 to 978.58 μg m−2 yr−1 with geometric mean of 354.22 μg m−2 yr−1. The most prevalent PAHs were 4-ring (39.65%) and 3-ring (35.56%) PAHs. The flux values were comparable to those in rural areas. Higher fluxes of total PAHs were observed in the middle of PMT transect (SL, YX and JY, which were more urbanized than other sites). The seasonal deposition fluxes in the sampling profile indicated seasonality of the contaminant source was an important factor in controlling deposition fluxes. PAHs bulk deposition was negatively correlated with meteorological parameters (temperature, wind speed, humidity, and precipitation). No significant correlations between soil concentrations and atmospheric deposition were found along this transect. PAHs in soil samples had combined sources of coal, wood and petroleum combustion, while a simple source of coal, wood and grass combustion for bulk deposition. There were significant positive correlation relationship (p < 0.05) between annual atmospheric bulk deposition and local PAHs emission, with biomass burning as the major contribution to the total emission of PAHs. This transect acts as an important PAHs source rather than being a sink according to the ratio of deposition/emission. Mountain cold trap effect existed in this transect where the altitude was higher than 1000 m. Long-range transport had an impact on the bulk deposition in summer. And this transect was a source to Tibetan only in summer. The forward trajectory analysis showed most air masses did not undergo long-range transport due to the blocking effect of surrounding mountains. Only a few air masses (<10%) arrived at the eastern and northern region of China or farther regions via long-range transport.

Transport and fluxes of terrestrial polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a small mountain river and submarine canyon system

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in the Gaoping River were investigated in the wet and dry seasons. PAH characteristics allowed us to trace the particulate matter transported in a river-sea system containing a small mountain river, continental shelf, and submarine canyon. PAH signatures of the Gaoping River showed that particles were rapidly transported from the high mountain to the Gaoping coastal areas in the wet season, even arriving at the deep ocean via the Gaoping Submarine Canyon. By contrast, in the dry season, the particles were delivered quite slowly and included mostly pyrogenic contaminants. The annual riverine flux estimates for PAHs were 2241 kg in the Gaoping river-sea system. Only 18.0 kg were associated with the dissolved phase; the rest was bound onto particles. The fluxes caused by typhoons and their effects accounted for 20.2% of the dissolved and 68.4% of the particulate PAH fluxes from the river. Normalized partition coefficients for organic carbon suggested that PAHs were rigid on the particles. Distinct source characteristics were evident for PAHs on riverine suspended particles and coastal surface sediments: the particles in the wet season (as background signals) were similar to petrogenic sources, whereas the particles in the dry season had characteristics of coal burning and vehicular emissions. The sediments in the northwestern shelf were similar to pyrogenic sources (including vehicular emissions and coal and biomass burning), whereas the sediments in the canyon and southeastern shelf arose from mixed sources, although some diesel signature was also evident.

234Th as a tracer of vertical transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Particle-mediated vertical flux of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) plays an important role in their removal from upper oceans and sets a limit on the amount delivered to the deep-sea sediments. In this study, we applied a one-dimensional steady-state 234Th scavenging model to estimate vertical flux of PAHs in the northern Gulf of Mexico and compared them with sediment trap based flux estimates. The 234Th-based ∑PAH43 fluxes were 6.7±1.0μgm−2d−1 and 3.7±0.6μgm−2d−1 while sediment trap-based fluxes were 4.0±0.6μgm−2d−1 and 4.5±0.7μgm−2d−1 at 150m and 250m, respectively. Alkylated homologues contributed to 80% of the total PAH fluxes which is in contrary to other regions where combustion derived parent PAHs dominate the fluxes. The results indicate that the 238U–234Th disequilibria can be an effective tracer of particulate PAH fluxes in upper mesopelagic zones and can provide flux estimates with high spatial coverage needed to quantify their long term fate and transport in the marine systems.

Sedimentary records of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in remote lakes across the Tibetan Plateau

Sediment cores from five lakes across the Tibetan Plateau were used as natural archives to study the time trends of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The depositional flux of PAHs generally showed an increasing trend from the deeper layers towards the upper layer sediments. The fluxes of PAHs were low with little variability before the 1950s, and then gradually increased to the late 1980s, with a faster increasing rate after the 1990s. This temporal pattern is clearly different compared with those remote lakes across the European mountains when PAHs started to decrease during the period 1960s–1980s. The difference of the temporal trend was attributed to differences in the economic development stages and energy structure between these regions. PAHs are dominated by the lighter 2&3-ring homologues with the averaged percentage over 87%, while it is notable that the percentage of heavier 4–6 ring PAHs generally increased in recent years, which suggests the contribution of local high-temperature combustion sources becoming more predominant.

AGN are cooler than you think: the intrinsic far-IR emission from QSOs

We present an intrinsic AGN SED extending from the optical to the submm, derived with a sample of unobscured, optically luminous (vLv(5100)>10^43.5 erg/s) QSOs at z<0.18 from the Palomar Green survey. The intrinsic AGN SED was computed by removing the contribution from stars using the 11.3um polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) feature in the QSOs' mid-IR spectra; the 1sigma uncertainty on the SED ranges between 12 and 45 per cent as a function of wavelength and is a combination of PAH flux measurement errors and the uncertainties related to the conversion between PAH luminosity and star-forming luminosity. Longwards of 20um the shape of the intrinsic AGN SED is independent of the AGN power indicating that our template should be applicable to all systems hosting luminous AGN (vLv(5100) or L_X(2-10keV) > 10^43.5 erg/s). We note that for our sample of luminous QSOs, the average AGN emission is at least as high as, and mostly higher than, the total stellar powered emission at all wavelengths from the optical to the submm. This implies that in many galaxies hosting powerful AGN, there is no `safe' broadband photometric observation (at lambda<1000um) which can be used in calculating star-formation rates without subtracting the AGN contribution. Roughly, the AGN contribution may be ignored only if the intrinsic AGN luminosity at 5100 Ang is at least a factor of 4 smaller than the total infrared luminosity (L_IR; 8-1000um) of the galaxy. Finally, we examine the implication of our work in statistical studies of star-formation in AGN host galaxies.

Size distributions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in urban atmosphere: sorption mechanism and source contributions to respiratory deposition

Abstract. In order to better understand the particle size distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their source contribution to human respiratory system, size-resolved PAHs have been studied in ambient aerosols at a megacity Shanghai site during a 1-year period (2012–2013). The results showed the PAHs had a bimodal distribution with one mode peak in the fine-particle size range (0.4–2.1 µm) and another mode peak in the coarse-particle size range (3.3–9.0 µm). Along with the increase in ring number of PAHs, the intensity of the fine-mode peak increased, while the coarse-mode peak decreased. Plotting of log(PAH / PM) against log(Dp) showed that all slope values were above −1, suggesting that multiple mechanisms (adsorption and absorption) controlled the particle size distribution of PAHs. The total deposition flux of PAHs in the respiratory tract was calculated as being 8.8 ± 2.0 ng h−1. The highest lifetime cancer risk (LCR) was estimated at 1.5 × 10−6, which exceeded the unit risk of 10−6. The LCR values presented here were mainly influenced by accumulation mode PAHs which came from biomass burning (24 %), coal combustion (25 %), and vehicular emission (27 %). The present study provides us with a mechanistic understanding of the particle size distribution of PAHs and their transport in the human respiratory system, which can help develop better source control strategies.

Sedimentary record of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Songhua River, China

Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in surface sediments and one dated sediment core from the Songhua River, Northeast China. The total concentration of 15 PAHs (16 priority pollutants designed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency minus naphthalene) in the surface sediments ranged from 16 to 421 ng/g dry weight. An evaluation of PAH sources based on diagnostic ratios suggested that PAHs in the most surface sediments were mainly derived from biomass and coal combustion, with the exception of those from Jilin City, where both petroleum contamination and combustion were possible sources of PAHs. A historical record of PAH contamination was reconstructed using a 210Pb and 137Cs dated sediment core from a backwater zone of the river. The characteristic changes in concentrations, fluxes and patterns of 15 PAHs over the past 75 years were captured in detail. Two increases in PAH fluxes were observed during the period from the early 1930s to the mid 1960s, and from the mid 1970s and the mid 1990s. The increases were attributed to the several wars (1937–1953) and reconstruction of new China (1949–1965) and the implementation of the Reform and Open Policy since 1978. Two declines in PAH fluxes were also observed from the mid 1960s to the mid 1970s and from the mid 1990s to the present. The decreases were attributed to the Great Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and the implementation of some pollution reduction measures since the 1990s. This study is the first attempt to provide information on the sedimentary record of PAHs in the Songhua River.

Wet deposition of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Izmir, Turkey.

Concentrations of several polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were measured in precipitation (n = 33) at a suburban site in Izmir, Turkey. Total (dissolved + particle) volume weighted mean (VWM) concentrations for Σ16PAHs, Σ18PCBs, Σ17OCPs, and Σ7PBDEs were 785, 19.2, 50.5, and 29.6ngl(-1), respectively. Low molecular weight (LMW) compounds (acenaphthylene, fluorene, phenanthrene) and congeners (PCB-18, 28, and 31) dominated the PAH and PCB concentrations, respectively. For PBDEs, BDE-209, and for OCPs, chlorpyrifos, a currently used pesticide, were the predominant compounds. Annual Σ7PBDEs flux was 18.74μgm(-2)year(-1). PBDE fluxes were mainly in dissolved phase for all congeners except BDE-209 which had comparable proportions in both phases. Annual flux for Σ16PAHs was 497.4μgm(-2)year(-1); higher molecular weight (MW) PAH fluxes had comparable amounts in both phases while lower MW ones were mostly in dissolved phase. Wet deposition fluxes for Σ18PCBs and Σ17OCPs were 9.40 and 31.94μgm(-2)year(-1), respectively, and they were predominantly in dissolved phase. Wet deposition fluxes were compared to previously measured annual dry deposition fluxes at the study site to determine their relative contributions to annual total (dry particle + wet) deposition. Dry deposition was the major removal mechanism for most of the PAHs and PCBs contributing >80% to total (wet + dry) deposition. However, both processes were comparable for PBDEs. Wet deposition was the predominant process for some OCPs such as α-chlordane, γ-chlordane, and trans-nonachlor while both processes were comparable for chlorpyrifos and heptachlor epoxide.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Pb isotopic ratios in a sediment core from Shilianghe Reservoir, eastern China: Implying pollution sources

The history records of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), lead and its stable isotope ratios were determined in a sediment core to receive anthropogenic impacts on the Shilianghe Reservoir in eastern China. The historical changes of PAHs concentrations, PAHs fluxes, Pb/Al and Pb isotope ratios showed a synchronous trend throughout the core, suggesting changes in energy usage and correlating closely with the experience of a rapid economic and industrial development of the catchment, Linyi City in eastern China. PAHs isomer ratios results reveal PAHs in sediments are dominantly anthropogenic pyrogenic source, dominated by the combustion of coal and biomass. Furthermore, the Pb isotopic composition also clearly indicates that coal combustion dust mainly contributed to the Pb burden in the reservoir sediments. Based on mix end member model of Pb isotope ratios, coal combustion dust dominated anthropogenic Pb sources over fifty years contributing from 31% to 62% of total Pb in sediment. And the contribution of leaded gasoline was low than average 25%. In addition, a stable increase of coal combustion source was found in sediment core, while the contribution of leaded gasoline had declined in recent decades, with the phase-out of leaded gasoline in China.

Spatially resolved Spitzer-IRS spectral maps of the superwind in M82

We have mapped the superwind/halo region of the nearby starburst galaxy M82 in the mid-infrared with Spitzer − IRS. The spectral regions covered include the H2 S(1)–S(3), [Ne ii], [Ne iii] emission lines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) features. We estimate the total warm H2 mass and the kinetic energy of the outflowing warm molecular gas to be between Mwarm ∼ 5 and 17 × 106 M⊙ and EK ∼ 6 and 20 × 1053 erg. Using the ratios of the 6.2, 7.7 and 11.3 μm PAH features in the IRS spectra, we are able to estimate the average size and ionization state of the small grains in the superwind. There are large variations in the PAH flux ratios throughout the outflow. The 11.3/7.7 and the 6.2/7.7 PAH ratios both vary by more than a factor of 5 across the wind region. The northern part of the wind has a significant population of PAH's with smaller 6.2/7.7 ratios than either the starburst disc or the southern wind, indicating that on average, PAH emitters are larger and more ionized. The warm molecular gas to PAH flux ratios (H2/PAH) are enhanced in the outflow by factors of 10–100 as compared to the starburst disc. This enhancement in the H2/PAH ratio does not seem to follow the ionization of the atomic gas (as measured with the [Ne iii]/[Ne ii] line flux ratio) in the outflow. This suggests that much of the warm H2 in the outflow is excited by shocks. The observed H2 line intensities can be reproduced with low-velocity shocks (v < 40 km s−1) driven into moderately dense molecular gas (102 < nH < 104 cm−3) entrained in the outflow.

Removal of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from Precipitation in an Urban Forest of Guangzhou, South China.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations and fluxes were measured monthly in situ from rain events in an urban forest in the megapolitan city Guangzhou, China, to investigate impacts of forest canopy and soils on PAHs. Mean Σ9-PAH concentrations were 107.5, 101.6, 106.3, 107.1 and 42.4 ng L(-1) in precipitation, throughfall, seepage water at the 30 and 60 cm soil depth, and runoff, respectively, indicating a great decrease in the form of runoff. Meanwhile, annual fluxes of total PAHs decreased from precipitation (205.9 µg m(-2) year(-1)), to throughfall (156.3 µg m(-2) year(-1)), and to seepage water (65.3 µg m(-2) year(-1) at 30-cm soil depth and 7.5 µg m(-2) year(-1) at 60-cm soil depth), but increased in runoff (34.1 µg m(-2) year(-1)). When compared to precipitation, PAH fluxes decreased by 83.4% in runoff, with 29% contributed by forest canopy and 71% by soils. Soil biodegradation explained 18.2% of PAH reduction by the surface soil layer and 34.6% by the middle soil layer.

Plant uptake, translocation, and return of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons via fine root branch orders in a subtropical forest ecosystem

Fine roots of woody plants are a heterogeneous system differing markedly in structure and function. Nevertheless, knowledge about the plant uptake of organic pollutants via fine roots is scarce to date. In the present study, plant uptake, translocation, and return of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) via fine roots in a subtropical forest ecosystem were investigated. Levels of Σ15PAHs in different fine root branch orders of Michelia macclurei, Cryptocarya concinna, Cryptocarya chinensis, and Canthium dicoccums varied from 5072±1419ngg−1 to 6080±1656ngg−1, 4037±410ngg−1 to 6101±972ngg−1, 3308±1191ngg−1 to 4283±237ngg−1, and 3737±800ngg−1 to 4895±1216ngg−1, respectively. Overall, concentrations of low-molecular-weight PAHs with 2–3 aromatic rings were higher than high-molecular-weight PAHs with 4–6 aromatic rings in all fine root branch orders. There were obvious translocations of PAHs between adjacent branch orders and a net accumulation of PAHs may occur in the fourth- and fifth-order roots. The storage of PAHs in the fine root system showed an obvious increasing trend along the branch orders ascending for all tree species. The return flux of PAHs via fine roots mortality showed an obvious decreasing trend with the branch orders ascending across the four tree species. Lower order roots contributed greatly to the total PAHs return flux. Our results indicated that fine roots turnover is an effective pathway for perennial tree species to remove environmental toxicants absorbed into them.