Analysis Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Research Articles

Enrichment behavior of contemporary PAHs and legacy PCBs at the sea-surface microlayer in harbor water.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the sea-surface microlayer (SML) and sub-surface water (SSW) were analyzed in and around Kaohsiung Harbor. The results confirm SML enrichments for PAHs, but PCBs less significantly, since PAHs are still produced while PCBs had banned years ago. However, PCBs still leak to the environment from contaminated sites. The results showed the sources and transport of PAHs and PCBs were different, but both are enriched in the SML. Total particulate PAHs at most sites are below the toxicity thresholds, with a few individual PAHs between the effects range-low and effect range-median even higher than the effect range-median. Total particulate PCBs might cause occasionally adverse effects in sensitive species and pose a risk to the organisms. The particulate phase in the SML poses a higher risk to the marine ecosystem than in the SSW although not all organisms will make direct use of the microlayer. Principal component analysis (PCA) of PAHs indicated the important contribution of traffic engine emission in the particulate samples of the SML and SSW and revealed that probably the petroleum pollutants are a predominant source for the dissolved phase. Cluster analysis revealed that PAH-PCB patterns in the river and anchorage channels were different to those in the wetlands and open harbor. However, PCA of PCBs showed differences in the congener profiles for the two phases, with highly chlorinated PCBs more abundant in particles, while less chlorinated PCBs were more abundant in dissolved.

Novel and specific source identification of PAH in urban soils: Alk-PAH-BPCA index and “V”-shape distribution pattern

Soils in urban and industrial areas, especially in larger metropolitan areas such as the Ruhr area, Germany, are commonly characterized by severe anthropogenic overprinting due to urbanization processes including land development measures. Such urban soils often contain various anthropogenic substrate admixtures, like ash, coal, tailings, building rubble, industrial waste materials, as well as urban dust, soot, fly ash, and others. These admixtures often carry higher contents of pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Whereas elevated PAH concentrations are commonly attributed to non-point pyrogenic carbon sources like soot and particulate matter, petrogenic PAH sources are still largely neglected in this context.In this study, an extended sample set of 62 samples of PAH source materials and urban soils containing anthropogenic substrate components was investigated by combining extended PAH analysis of 59 PAH, alkylated PAH distributions and benzene polycarboxylic acid (BPCA) analysis with regard to petrogenic and pyrogenic PAH source identification. For more reliability of source apportionment by a more integrative signal, the alkylated PAH distributions of different PAH groups were combined according to their degrees of alkylation. Based on this combination, a new PAH alkylation index (ΣC0/(ΣC0+ΣC2)) was derived, which considers, in contrast to commonly used single PAH ratios, a series of non-alkylated and alkylated PAH.By comparison of this PAH alkylation index with the degree of aromatic condensation a new robust and economic method for identifying petrogenic, pyrogenic and mixed PAH sources within soil samples and sediments was developed. It is shown that coal and coal ash particles are a not negligible PAH source in urban soils of mining-dominated regions and can make up a large proportion of the anthropogenic substrate components encountered.Further analyses of samples with defined levels of petrogenic and pyrogenic PAH are necessary to finally evaluate the usefulness of this proposed new PAH-BPCA approach.

Current situation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in PM2.5 in a receptor site in Mexico City and estimation of carcinogenic PAH by combining non-real-time and real-time measurement techniques

Air pollution is a public health concern. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are ubiquitous atmospheric pollutants contained in the atmospheric aerosol. PAH in particulate matter with diameters ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5) represent a human health risk due to their toxic properties. In this study, PAH in PM2.5 at a receptor site of Mexico City during the dry cold season were determined. The most abundant PAH (median, 10–90th percentile, pg m−3) were benzo[ghi]perylene (467, 291–697), followed by pyrene (427, 218–642). A decrease around 40% in the carcinogenic PAH onto PM2.5 was calculated with respect to the same PAH measured a decade ago, at the same receptor site, despite of increase in vehicle fleet. The PAH decrease trend agrees with the decrease trend of CO, NO and NO2, released into the air by similar emission sources than PAH. Control emissions strategies implemented by local and federal authorities are discussed. PAH analyses were carried out by non-real-time and real-time methods. The PAH non-real-time method involved PM2.5 sampling, sample treatment and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. The PAH real-time method involved the use of a photoelectric aerosol sensor (PAS). The PAH determination by non-real time method was selective and efficient, with recoveries between 75 ± 14% and 98 ± 26%. By combining non-real-time and real-time methodologies, multivariate regression models were obtained based on PAS response, NO2 and wind speed to estimate PAH in PM2.5 at low-cost (r2 = 0.59 to r2 = 0.89). Fossil fuel combustion from vehicles was the major source around the sampling site. Diagnostic ratios (DR) based on retene, chrysene, and triphenylene, suggested biomass burning emission sources. Photo-oxidation in sunny months was observed based on benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[ghi]perylene, benz[a]anthracene, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene and black carbon. The correlation analyses suggested transport of PM2.5, O3, BC and SO2 to the sampling site, and local emissions of PAH, NO and CO.

Determination of Parent and Oxygenated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Waste Cooking Oil and Oil Deodorizer Distillate by GC–QQQ–MS

Abstract Background: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and oxygenated PAHs (OPAHs) are classes of contaminants that are present in the environment and food. They pose a great threat to human health because of their carcinogenicity and mutagenicity. Very few studies have focused on their concentration in waste cooking oil (WCO) and oil deodorizer distillate (ODD). Objective: This study aimed (1) to design a reliable method to determine 16 PAHs and 4 OPAHs in both WCO and ODD and (2) to determine and analyze PAH and OPAH concentrations in actual samples to provide references for further research. Method: The PAH determination approach included double liquid–liquid extraction, double solid-phase extraction, and GC–triple quadrupole tandem MS determination. Oxidation indices were determined by titrimetry. Results: The method reached good linearity (R2 > 0.99) and an acceptable recovery rate (55.01–126.16% for WCO and 57.48–128.97% for ODD). Ten WCO and five ODD samples were determined, and the total concentration of 16 PAHs varied from 16.34 to 239.01 and 101.08 to 198.04 μg/kg in WCO and ODD, respectively. Among the 16 PAHs, three-ring PAHs typically contributed the most. It was also found that the acid value has a strong correlation with the concentration of OPAHs, probably because of the contribution of free fatty acids to OPAH formation. Conclusions: The proposed method was effective in the analysis of PAHs and OPAHs in WCO and ODD.

A sensitive and automatic method based on microextraction by packed sorbents for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in saliva samples

A sensitive method for the quantification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in saliva samples is proposed. The method is based on the use of microextraction by packed sorbents (MEPS), injection with programmed temperature vaporizer (PTV), gas chromatography (GC) and mass spectrometry with a single quadrupole (MS). As far as we know, the MEPS technique has not been used to date for the analysis of PAHs in saliva samples.Sample treatment carried out only involves centrifugation and filtration of the saliva sample, which is subjected to the MEPS process without dilution. Standard addition was used as a calibration strategy, due to the matrix effect found using ultrapure water and among the different saliva samples. Nine saliva samples were analysed and phenanthrene was found (15 ± 6 ng L−1) in one of them.To confirm the accuracy of the method, the concentrations added in the standard additions were compared with the value predicted by the calibration model. The values ranged between 78 and 123%. The limits of detection (LOD) found in the saliva samples ranged between 4.6 and 79 ng L−1 and the repeatability and reproducibility were always equal to or lower than 10 and 17%, respectively.The main advantage of the proposed methodology over the existing ones is the complete automation of the analysis process (extraction, separation and detection). Once the saliva sample is placed in the vial, the entire process occurs on-line.

Analysis of PAHs in oily systems using modified QuEChERS with EMR-Lipid clean-up followed by GC-QqQ-MS

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) analysis in oily matrices is a great challenge that needs improvements both in efficiency and environmental sustainability. In this study, a method based on QuEChERS and gas chromatography-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (GC-QqQ-MS) was established. The method was based on EMR-Lipid as the dispersed solid phase adsorbent and acetonitrile: acetone (3:2, v/v) as the extraction solvent. The recovery of 16 PAHs reached 66.72–112.87%; the RSD was less than 8%, and the LOD and LOQ were lower than 0.13 μg/kg and 0.43 μg/kg, respectively. Compared to the ISO 15753 method, our method reduced the pretreatment time by 2/3 and improved the recovery of heavy PAHs, such as fluoranthene, benzo[a]anthracene and benzo[b]fluoranthene. The low solvent usage of 10 mL was also environmentally friendly for a high throughput basis. After verification, the method was successfully applied to determine the PAHs in 12 real oily samples, including waste frying oils (WFOs) and vegetable oil deodorizer distillates (VODDs). The PAH concentrations determined in the WFOs and VODDs ranged from 39.21 to 197.44 μg/kg and 1219.34–1482.25 μg/kg, respectively. Our work suggests that the proposed method can serve as an alternative approach for the efficient and precise determination of PAHs in edible oils and other oily systems as well as a potential analytical approach to evaluate PAHs in foods and drinks. Furthermore, the PAH data for the WFOs indicate that the PAH level should be introduced as a safety index for the obsoleting of frying oil.

Distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) on sediment around makassar coast

This study conducts an analysis related to distribution and source of PAH in sediment around Makassar coast. Sediment sample has been taken up using Van Veen grab and put in a plastic sac, brought to laboratory, added with salt, stored in dried freezer, and followed for PAH analysis. Sample preparation has been carried out using DCM and n-hexane (1:1) solvent to obtain extract of organic matter (EOM). The EOM is fractionated to yield alkane fraction (F1) and aromatic fraction (F2) containing PAH. The GC-FID has been used to determine PAH concentration through analysis of F2. Validation of the analytical method applies linearity, LoD, and LoQ. The recovery test has fulfilled for all PAH compounds except for naphthalene and fluoranthene. The highest concentration of PAHs is found at station 7 with benzo(a)antracene 933.23±3.88 ppm and perylene 205.75±19.45 ppm. The lowest total concentration of PAHs is found at station 12 located at the estuary of Tello River caused by dilution from both river and sea water. The source of PAHs in sediment is generally from petrogenic and pirolytic process.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the bottom sediments of Elburgon River—Kenya: precursors for cancer

The exponential growth in the rate of industrialization is a serious precursor for contamination and deterioration of the environment. Water pollution, for instance, is expected to reach disturbing levels in the years to come. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water systems are persistent contaminants not only in aquatic systems but also in soil, air and plant materials and are well-known initiators for cancer and gene mutation. Numerous human-dependent activities such as agriculture and suspected wood treatment works in Elburgon may lead to an increased PAH contamination of water in River Elburgon, especially when the internationally set limits are exceeded. The sediment samples were collected in May 2019 during the wet season and treated for analysis of PAHs using a gas chromatograph hyphenated to a mass selective detector. A total of 25 PAHs were quantified in this study out of which pyrene was the most abundant, contributing $$\approx \,17\%$$ of the total concentrations of PAHs identified. The total concentration of the PAHs analyzed in this study was found to be $$\mathop \sum \nolimits_{25} {\text{PAH}} = 73.19 \pm 3.67\;\upmu{\text{g}}\;{\text{g}}^{ - 1}$$ dry weight (dw) with pyrene contributing a total concentration $$\mathop \sum \nolimits_{\text{pyrene}} = 12.44 \pm 0.54\;\upmu{\text{g}}\;{\text{g}}^{ - 1 }$$ dw. On the other hand, benzo[a]pyrene (BaP)—a well-known carcinogen—was significantly high $$\mathop \sum \nolimits_{\text{BaP}} = 10.67 \pm 0.43\;\upmu{\text{g}}\;{\text{g}}^{ - 1 }$$ . Other major PAHs detected included acenaphthene and 5,6-dihydrobenzo[de]anthracene, $$14.57\%$$ and $$\approx \,11\%$$ , respectively. The low concentration PAHs included 1-ethenylnaphthalene and 1,4,5-trimethylnaphthalene each at $$0.08\%$$ . The presence of benzo[a]pyrene in significant amounts is of serious concern on the public health of the residents of Elburgon and its environs. Considering the high levels of PAHs in the sediments of River Elburgon, it is important to note with concern that the water in the river under study is not only be unsuitable for drinking but also unsuitable for other domestic purposes such as irrigation and laundry.

Source Analysis and Health Risk Assessment of PAHs in PM2.5 During Winter in Liaocheng City

To investigate the mass concentrations, sources, and health effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in ambient particulate matter (PM) in Liaocheng City during winter, 14 types of PAHs in PM2.5 were determined from January to February of 2017. The sources of the PAHs were analyzed by using diagnostics ratios and the principal component analysis (PCA)-multiple linear regression (MLR) model,and the health risk of PAHs was assessed by BaP equivalent concentrations (BaPeq) and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR). The results showed that the mass concentrations of PAHs in PM2.5 during winter were (64.89±48.23) ng·m-3, Fla, Pyr, and Chry were predominant species, accounting for 15.5%, 12.8%, and 12.7% of the total concentrations of PAHs, respectively. Moreover, the ring distribution of the PAHs was dominated by four-ring PAHs. The pollution during the pre-Spring Festival and firework Ⅱwere the most severe during the sampling period. The results of the PCA-MLR model suggested that PAHs originated mostly from coal burning, biomass burning, and vehicle emissions. The toxicity exposure index (TEQ) in Liaocheng City during winter was (6.37±4.92) ng·m-3. The results of the risk model revealed that the ILCR of adults was higher than that of children, and both groups of ILCR for winter were in the range of the risk threshold. This suggests that a potential risk in terms of inhalation PAH exposure for residents in Liaocheng City.

Simultaneous analysis of PAHs and BTEX in soil by a needle trap device coupled with GC-FID and using response surface methodology involving Box-Behnken design

Polyaniline silica (Silica/PANI) organic-inorganic nanocomposite was synthesized by combining electrospinning and in-situ polymerization processes. This strategy prevented the aggregation of PANI during the polymerization and led to higher synthesis's yield and more uniformity of the produced composite. The structure and morphology of the nanocomposite was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The prepared nanocomposite was then packed inside a stain-steel needle and evaluated as a needle trap device (NTD), for simultaneous headspace extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) in polluted soil samples, before GC-FID analysis, as a low-cost and robust detector. Response surface methodology (RSM) involving Box-Behnken design (BBD) was implemented to evaluate the effective experimental variables and subsequent introduction of a multiple function to describe the experimental conditions for the extraction of the analytes. Wide calibration plots (1-2000 ng g−1 for BTEX and 0.2–2000 ng g−1 for PAHs) with acceptable linearity (R2 > 0.99) were obtained under the optimal conditions. The limits of detection were found to be 0.02–0.1 ng g−1for BTEX and 0.001–0.01 ng g−1 for PAHs. The calculated standard deviations were 7.3–13.2% (n = 6). The developed NTD-GC-FID method was successfully applied for the extraction and determination of PAHs and BTEX in contaminated soil samples.

Recognition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using fluorescence spectrometry combined with bird swarm algorithm optimization support vector machine.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), known as a widespread toxic pollutants in aquatic environments, have caused enormous harm to human society and even the earth's ecology. Therefore, it is necessary to identify PAHs pollutants accurately and efficiently. In this work, the binary mixed solvents Acenaphthylene and Fluorene (ANP-FLU), Acenaphthylene and Naphthalene (ANP-NAP), FLU-NAP representing typical PAHs mixtures in aqueous solution were identified by using three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy and machine learning intelligent algorithm. The fluorescence spectroscopy was used to analyze the similarity and difference of ANP, FLU, NAP and the mixtures of two above compounds. What's more, bird swarm algorithm optimization support vector machine (BSA-SVM), introduced as a new method, was proposed to identify PAHs. In order to verify the accuracy of the BSA-SVM algorithm, the BSA-SVM, particle swarm optimization support vector machine (PSO-SVM), genetic optimization support vector machine (GA-SVM) and SVM algorithms were test by processing the same spectral data. The test set classification accuracy of BSA-SVM can reach 100%, which was higher than that of PSO-SVM, GA-SVM and SVM. Moreover, with the exception of the original SVM model, the training speed of BSA-SVM was the fastest among the three optimization algorithms. The satisfying results demonstrated that the BSA-SVM was more suitable for qualitative analysis of PAHs.

Determination of PAHs content in hair samples of smokers and non-smokers using gas chromatography in hyphenation with mass spectrometry

Abstract: PAHs are known as toxic, persistent organic pollutants produced by incomplete combustion of organic materials including smoking. To assess the exposure of PAHs through smoking habits, 16 PAHs in hair samples of 32 smokers and 20 non-smokers were analyzed using gas chromatography in hyphenation with mass spectrometry. The results showed that total content of PAHs in hair samples of smokers ranged from 46.8 ng/g to 1,257 ng/g (mean: 388.3 ng/g) and that of non-smokers ranged from 65.3 ng/g to 910.8 ng/g (mean: 266.1 ng/g). Application of the Student statistical method indicated that the dataset of PAHs in hair samples between two subject groups were significantly different. Phenanthrene, pyrene, fluoranthene were the most dominant PAHs in hair samples of both smokers and non-smokers. The mean content of total toxicity equivalent of 16 PAHs compared to benzo (a) pyrene in hair samples of smokers and non-smokers were 13.32 ng/g and 11.29 ng/g, respectively. Some considerable values of PAHs including PAH4, PAH8 and BaPeq were higher than other similar studies in the world except one study in Japan. The analysis of PAHs in a new biomarker such as hair samples is a potential research trend to assess the exposure of PAHs in the human body.
 Keywords: PAHs, hair sample, smoker, non-smoker.
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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediment cores from lakes Shinji and Nakaumi, SW Japan: A proxy of recent fire events in the watershed

PAHs in sediment cores have been investigated as a useful proxy of historic fire events in the watershed of an estuary. Oxygen poor and anoxic lake bottom conditions in estuarine brackish lakes Shinji and Nakaumi could prevent the oxidization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and preserve a record of PAHs in sediments. PAHs emitted from wood and/or grass burning have been analyzed for composition and concentrations during the last ∼300 years. Carbonized plant material which remained after artificial agricultural fires and heating experiments have been used to estimate fire temperature. The equation relating maximum temperature and hydrogen to carbon (H/C) atomic ratio of the charcoal is as follows: Temp (°C) = 317 x (H/C)−0.708 (R2 = 0.924, 200–700 °C).These experiments and the gas chromatography - mass spectrometry analysis of PAHs on the charcoals suggest that PAHs were primarily produced at temperatures less than 500 °C in the burning of wild plants.The PAHs contents in the two sediment cores were not related to total organic carbon (TOC) contents and emission of industrial waste, and were directly due to fire events in this region. Although TOC contents of the sediments were constant at about 0.5% in Lake Shinji and 1.0% in Lake Nakaumi before ca. 1900 CE, and increased up to about 4% due to recent nutrient discharge, the profiles of PAHs contents were completely different. The sediment cores contained the following PAHs: phenanthrene (P), fluoranthene (Fla), pyrene (Py), benz[a]anthracene (BaAn), benzofluoranthenes (Bflas), benzo[e]pyrene (BePy), indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (InPy) and benzo[ghi]perylene (BghiP). The contents of 6-ring InPy and BghiP, high temperature markers, are lower than those of the other low ring Py, BaAn, Bflas and BePy, showing low to medium intensity/temperature fire events. Relatively higher BaAn contents suggest that the PAHs were carried and deposited in the sediments for a short period after the fire. The PAHs peak groups B (1830–1870 CE) and C (1920 CE) may be attributed to the burning of wood buildings in Matsue City, and the PAHs peak group period D (1970–1980 and 2000–2007 CE) could be mainly due to forest fires. The general increase in PAHs after 1850 CE could be caused by climate change after the Little Ice Age. The PAHs with maximum total peak concentrations at 30–34 cm depth (1850 CE: 4890 ng g−1) in Lake Shinji and at 8–12 cm depth (1970–1980 CE: 2030 ng g−1) in Lake Nakaumi are not at a toxic level.

Determination of Parent and Oxygenated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Waste Cooking Oil and Oil Deodorizer Distillate by GC-QQQ-MS.

Background: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and oxygenated PAHs (OPAHs) are classes of contaminants that are present in the environment and food. They pose a great threat to human health because of their carcinogenicity and mutagenicity. Very few studies have focused on their concentration in waste cooking oil (WCO) and oil deodorizer distillate (ODD). Objective: This study aimed (1) to design a reliable method to determine 16 PAHs and 4 OPAHs in both WCO and ODD and (2) to determine and analyze PAH and OPAH concentrations in actual samples to provide references for further research. Method: The PAH determination approach included double liquid-liquid extraction, double solid-phase extraction, and GC-triple quadrupole tandem MS determination. Oxidation indices were determined by titrimetry. Results: The method reached good linearity (R² > 0.99) and an acceptable recovery rate (55.01-126.16% for WCO and 57.48-128.97% for ODD). Ten WCO and five ODD samples were determined, and the total concentration of 16 PAHs varied from 16.34 to 239.01 and 101.08 to 198.04 μg/kg in WCO and ODD, respectively. Among the 16 PAHs, three-ring PAHs typically contributed the most. It was also found that the acid value has a strong correlation with the concentration of OPAHs, probably because of the contribution of free fatty acids to OPAH formation. Conclusions: The proposed method was effective in the analysis of PAHs and OPAHs in WCO and ODD.

Nanoparticles Used for Extraction of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

This article offers a review on the application of nanoparticles (NPs) that have been used as sorbents in the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The novel advances in the application of carbon NPs, mesoporous silica NPs, metal, metal oxides, and magnetic and magnetised NPs in the extraction of PAHs from matrix solutions were discussed. The extraction techniques used to isolate PAHs have been highlighted including their advantages and limitations. Methods for preparing NPs and optimized conditions of NPs extraction efficiency have been overviewed since proper extraction procedures were necessary to achieve optimum analytical results. The aim was to provide an overview of current knowledge and information in order to assess the need for further exploration that can lead to an efficient and optimum analysis of PAHs.

Formation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Oxidation Products in α-Pinene Secondary Organic Aerosol Particles Formed through Ozonolysis.

Accurate long-range atmospheric transport (LRAT) modeling of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and PAH oxidation products (PAH-OPs) in secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particles relies on the known chemical composition of the particles. Four PAHs, phenanthrene (PHE), dibenzothiophene (DBT), pyrene (PYR), and benz(a)anthracene (BaA), were studied individually to identify and quantify PAH-OPs produced and incorporated into SOA particles formed by ozonolysis of α-pinene in the presence of PAH vapor. SOA particles were characterized using real-time in situ instrumentation, and collected on quartz fiber filters for offline analysis of PAHs and PAH-OPs. PAH-OPs were measured in all PAH experiments at equal or greater concentrations than the individual PAHs they were produced from. The total mass of PAH and PAH-OPs, relative to the total SOA mass, varied for different experiments on individual parent PAHs: PHE and 6 quantified PHE-OPs (3.0%), DBT and dibenzothiophene sulfone (4.9%), PYR and 3 quantified PYR-OPs (3.1%), and BaA and benz(a)anthracene-7,12-dione (0.26%). Further exposure of PAH-SOA to ozone generally increased the concentration ratio of PAH-OPs to PAH, suggesting longer atmospheric lifetimes for PAH-OPs, relative to PAHs. These data indicate that PAH-OPs are formed during SOA particle formation and growth.

Validation of European horizontal methods for the analysis of PAH, PCB and dioxins in sludge, treated biowaste and soil

BackgroundDraft standards for the determination of organic pollutants in the solid matter of environmental matrices such as sludge, treated biowaste and soil have been basically developed in the framework of the European standardisation project HORIZONTAL. A research project financed by the German Federal Environment Agency was initiated to finalise some of these CEN standard drafts, since fully validated standard procedures are crucial for the evaluation of their reliability in the context of implementation in legislation on environmental health.ApproachAppropriate test materials (< 2 mm particle size) were prepared and homogenised from contaminated soils, sludge and treated biowaste containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), dioxins, furans and dioxin-like-PCB and served, along with reference solutions, as the basis for international interlaboratory comparisons. Performance data of three analytical standard procedures were obtained by the statistical evaluation of results received from 11 to 29 participants per test material.ResultsThe overall variation coefficients of reproducibility (between-lab standard deviations) for the sum parameters were roughly between 10 and 35%. The variation coefficients of repeatability (within-lab standard deviations) range between 3 and 8% and show no trend considering the substance groups or matrices. The highest coefficients of reproducibility were found for the analysis of PAH, which were between 26 and 35%, depending on the matrix, whereas 7–17% reproducibility was observed for toxicity equivalents (TEQ) comprising dioxins, furans and dl-PCB.ConclusionsOverall, the results confirm that the procedures described in the Technical Specifications are fit for purpose for all three matrices and that the feasibility of the HORIZONTAL approach, to cover several matrices with one standard per analyte, was thereby proven.

Phytoremediation efficacy assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons contaminated soils using garden pea (Pisum sativum) and earthworms (Eisenia fetida)

Endpoint assessment using biological systems in combination with the chemical analysis is important for evaluating the residual effect of contaminants following remediation. In this study, the level of residual toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) after 120 days of phytoremediation with five different plant species:- maize (Zea mays), Sudan grass (Sorghum sudanense), vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides), sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and wallaby grass (Austrodanthonia sp.) has been evaluated by ecotoxicological tests such as root nodulation and leghaemoglobin assay using garden pea (Pisum sativum) and acute, chronic and genotoxicity assays using earthworm (Eisenia fetida). The phytoremediated soil exhibited lesser toxicity supporting improved root nodulation and leghaemoglobin content in P. sativum and reducing DNA damage in E. fetida when compared to contaminated soil before remediation. Also, the results of the ecotoxicological assays with the legume and earthworm performed in this study complemented the results obtained by the chemical analysis of PAHs in phytoremediated soil. Therefore, these findings provide a basis for a framework in which remediation efficacy of PAHs-contaminated sites can be evaluated effectively with simple ecotoxicological bioassays using legumes and earthworms.

Peanut shell-derived biochar materials for effective solid-phase microextraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environmental waters

In this contribution, low-cost and robust biochar material fabricated from waste peanut shells manifest highly-efficient adsorption capability and was prepared into a solid-phase microextraction fiber coating on the external surface of a stainless-steel wire. It was observed from scanning electron microscopy that, a homogeneity of cavities makes up the external surface of the coating, and Raman signals revealed that it contained graphite structures. Coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), headspace SPME (HS-SPME) based on the novel fiber was applied for the analysis of six polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in environmental water samples. Under the selected optimum conditions in both extraction and desorption processes, satisfactory analytical performances were achieved, which included good intra-fiber repeatability (relative standard deviations, RSDs in the range from 6.93% to 10.86%, n = 6) and inter-fiber reproducibility (RSDs from 5.61% to 13.59%, n = 4), together with low limits of detection (LODs, 1.09–2.46 ng L−1) and limits of quantification (LOQs, 3.62–8.20 ng L−1), as well as a satisfactory linear range for the analysis of the target PAHs (10–2000 ng L−1). This established method also showed good reliability in the analysis of target PAHs in river water as well as pond water in the downtown area of Guangzhou, China, as the spiked recoveries were in the range from 81% to 116%.

Accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in snow cover near fuel and energy enterprises of the Vorkuta city

The paper deals with the composition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in snow cover near the city of Vorkuta (Komi Republic, Russia) in the impact zone of the fuel and energy complex. It includes the results on background aero technogenic pollution levels of Vorkuta and its suburbs for subsequent ecological monitoring and on precipitation areas of different PAH fractions within the impact zones of combined heat-and-power plants, the central water boiler plant, and the territory of Vorkuta. “Light” (easily mobile) PAHs are present at almost any test site and attain extreme values in the impact zones of heat-and-power plant 1, heat-and-power plant 2, the central water boiler plant, and the territory of Vorkuta. They are transported at large distances because of high volatility. In addition, light PAHs are transported with air aerosols as they get adsorbed on fine dust particles. “Heavy” PAHs are present on the territory of the city and in the impact zones of the both energy-and-power plants with local pollution extremes from heat-and-power plant 2 at distances of 0.5, 3.0, 11.2 km but are not transported outside 11.2 km. There are interlinks between accumulation of PAHs and other organic and inorganic pollutants. Concerning analyses of PAHs from snow cover, there exist certain territorial groups which allow for understanding pollution sources (fuel and energy complex, auto transport, coal mining). Indicating ratios of PAHs in snow cover of Vorkuta evidence their pyrogenic genesis.