Total Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons Research Articles

Health risk of heavy metals and PAHs contaminants in goat meat de-haired with waste tyres and plastic in Calabar, Nigeria

Dehairing goat meat during processing using waste car tyres and plastic is a potential route of contaminants, hence the purpose of the study. Goat meat (muscle) samples (n = 50) collected from 3 abattoirs in Calabar, Nigeria, were analysed for heavy metals and poly aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH). The mean heavy metals in goat meat were: 0.20 ± 0.02 (Pb), 0.57 ± 0.06 (Cr), 4.31 ± 0.18 (Cd), 5.02 ± 0.54 (Ni), and 0.02 ± 0.01 (Co) mg/kg, with total PAH levels of 65.91 ng/g. The mean Cr, Cd, and Ni (mg/kg) in the meat were higher than the World Health Organization/Food and Agricultural Organization (WHO/FAO) acceptable limits for food. The dominant PAH was benzo (a) anthracene. Diagnostic ratios and PCA revealed pyrogenic and petrogenic sources as contributors of the PAHs in goat meat. The carcinogenic risk of Cr, Cd, Ni, anthracene, benzo (a) anthracene, and indeno [1, 2, 3, cd] pyrene in adults and children were greater than 10−4, indicating risk. Ni and benzo (a) anthracene were the most ingested contaminants and main carcinogenic sources in adults and children. Given the impending chronic health risks in the practice, there is a need for safer processing methods that do not further contaminant the meat.

Reduced commuter exposure to PM2.5 and PAHs in response to improved emission standards in bus rapid transit systems in Mexico

We evaluated impacts of progressive technological updates to bus rapid transit (BRT) systems on in-cabin concentrations of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5), and the various polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to which commuters were exposed. PM2.5 samples were collected and real-time concentrations measured from October 2017 to March 2020 inside cabins of BRT buses equipped with Euro IV, V and VI diesel emission standards in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA). For effective comparison, similar samplings and measurements were carried out on trains in the MCMA underground (MCU) system. Peak in-cabin PM2.5 concentrations decreased significantly (p < 0.05) by 35% from Euro IV to Euro V buses, and by 80% from Euro IV to Euro VI buses. PM2.5 concentrations inside Euro VI buses were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than in Euro IV and Euro V buses and in underground trains. The in-cabin excess (ICE) of PM2.5 relative to ambient concentrations was significantly (p < 0.05) higher for Euro IV than for Euro V buses during morning the traffic peak, and consistently higher than for Euro VI buses. Indeed, ICEs calculated for Euro VI buses were always lower than those for electricity-powered underground trains. The frequency of hotspots decreased from Euro IV to Euro VI buses due to the combined effect of low emissions and closed, air-conditioned cabins. Concentrations of total PAHs including carcinogenic species also decreased from Euro IV to Euro V buses and were below limits of detection aboard Euro VI buses. This work shows that in real-life conditions, advanced diesel technologies and cabin design significantly reduce commuters’ exposure to PM2.5 and to toxic PAH compounds.

Quality assessment of Vitellaria paradoxa seed oil obtained under different extraction conditions and solvents

Greener technologies and methodologies are the panaceas for sustainable development and a sustainable economy. Therefore, environmentally benign approaches to the extraction of edible oils and oils for industrial applications should be adopted to obtain greener products. The aim of this study is to compare the quality of the shea butter obtained via the traditional method of extraction with the use of an organic solvent such as petroleum ether. The fatty acid composition, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and aliphatic hydrocarbons of the traditionally obtained shea butter (TSB) and petroleum ether-obtained shea butter (PSB) were determined using standard methods. The total PAHs in the TSB sample were 0.430 mg/L, with benzo[c]phenanthrene having the highest concentration of 0.170 mg/L. Most of the PAHs were not detected in the TSB sample, and the few that were detected were in very low amounts. The total PAHs in the PSB sample were 304.742 mg/L, with pyrene having the highest concentration of 285.411 mg/L. Benz[a]anthracene had the lowest concentration of 0.223 mg/L, while 7,12-dimethylbenzo[a]anthracene's (DMBA) concentration was 0.481 mg/L. The concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids such as γ-linolenic acid (316.47 mg/l), arachidonic acid (24.39 mg/l), and 5,8,11,17-eicosapentaenoic acid (20.67 mg/l) were higher in TSB than those obtained in PSB, with concentrations of 8.586 mg/l, 0.662 ml/l, and 0.561 mg/l, respectively. The traditional method is more environmentally friendly compared to the cold solvent extraction method with petroleum ether, and shea butter should be extracted with greener solvents for edible, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic purposes.

Crude oil exposure of early life stages of Atlantic haddock suggests threshold levels for developmental toxicity as low as 0.1 μg total polyaromatic hydrocarbon (TPAH)/L

Atlantic haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) embryos bind dispersed crude oil droplets to the eggshell and are consequently highly susceptible to toxicity from spilled oil. We established thresholds for developmental toxicity and identified any potential long-term or latent adverse effects that could impair the growth and survival of individuals. Embryos were exposed to oil for eight days (10, 80 and 300 μg oil/L, equivalent to 0.1, 0.8 and 3.0 μg TPAH/L). Acute and delayed mortality were observed at embryonic, larval, and juvenile stages with IC50 = 2.2, 0.39, and 0.27 μg TPAH/L, respectively. Exposure to 0.1 μg TPAH/L had no negative effect on growth or survival. However, yolk sac larvae showed significant reduction in the outgrowth (ballooning) of the cardiac ventricle in the absence of other extracardiac morphological defects. Due to this propensity for latent sublethal developmental toxicity, we recommend an effect threshold of 0.1 μg TPAH/L for risk assessment models.

Correlation of soil microbiome with crude oil contamination drives detection of hydrocarbon degrading genes which are independent to quantity and type of contaminants

The impacts of crude oil contamination on soil microbial populations were explored in seven different polluted areas near oil and gas drilling sites and refineries of Assam, India. Using high-throughput sequencing techniques, the functional genes and metabolic pathways involved in the bioconversion of crude oil contaminants by the indigenous microbial community were explored. Total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentrations in soil samples ranged from 1109.47 to 75,725.33 mg/kg, while total polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations ranged from 0.780 to 560.05 mg/kg. Pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene, naphthalene, phenanthrene, and anthracene had greater quantities than the maximum permitted limits, suggesting a greater ecological risk, in comparison to other polyaromatic hydrocarbons. According to the metagenomic data analysis, the bacterial phyla Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Bacteroides were the most prevalent among all polluted areas. The most prominent hydrocarbon degraders in the contaminated sites included Burkholderia, Mycobacterium, Polaromonas, and Pseudomonas. However, the kinds of pollutants and their concentrations did not correlate with the abundances of respective degrading genes for all polluted locations, as some of the sites with little to low PAH contamination had significant abundances of corresponding functional genes for degradation. Thus, the findings of this study imply that the microbiome of hydrocarbon-contaminated areas, which are biologically involved in the degradation process, has various genes, operons and catabolic pathways that are independent of the presence of a specific kind of contaminant.

WORKPLACE EXPOSURE MONITORING AND MORBIDITYPATTERN OF WORKERS EMPLOYED IN HIGHWAY TOLL PLAZA

At the toll plaza, vehicle operation, including acceleration and deceleration, emit more pollutants and takes longer to cross the area, with the highest level of pollution being generated during this period. As a result, the workers are exposed to numerous sorts of pollution for an extended periodof time throughout their workday. In the present study, we monitored probable contaminants inside the toll plaza in order to assess the morbidity conditions of these individuals as a result of chronic exposures at the workplace. Personal measurements of particulate matter (PM), total volatile organic carbons (VOCs) and carbon monoxide (CO), and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)-particulate phase were considered to determine exposure. The mean work shift dustconcentration of PM2.5 and PM10 readings were within the permissible level of Indian standards (PM2.5 60 μg/m3 and PM10 100 μg/m3) but exceed the WHO recommended guideline (PM2.5 15 μg/m3and PM10 45 μg/m3). The maximum CO concentration was 2.65 ppm, while the lowest was 0.31ppm.Lesser aerodynamic particulate matter of PM1 and PM4 and gases, which were monitored, have norecognised standards. H2S concentrations ranged from 0.06 to 2.00 ppm, while VOC concentrations ranged from 0.08 to 0.41ppm. Total PAHs were found in the range of 2.10-24.81 μg/m3 and Benzo [] Pyrene (BaP) was identified in the range of 2.10-7.60 g μg/m3 in each sample. Headache (66 %), back pain (60.4 %), coughing (54.7 %), hair fall (41.5%), tearing (32.2 %), itching eyes (32.2 %), joint pain (28.3 %), congestion in the nose (17%), sore throat (%), and neck pain (15.1 %) were the mostcommon health problems reported by toll plaza workers.

Unravelling the genetic and functional diversity of dominant bacterial communities involved in manure co-composting bioremediation of complex crude oil waste sludge

The present study aimed to characterize the bacterial community and functional diversity in co-composting microcosms of crude oil waste sludge amended with different animal manures, and to evaluate the scope for biostimulation based in situ bioremediation. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analyses revealed enhanced attenuation (>90%) of the total polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); the manure amendments significantly enhancing (up to 30%) the degradation of high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs. Microbial community analysis showed the dominance (>99% of total sequences) of sequences affiliated to phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes. The core genera enriched were related to hydrocarbon metabolism (Pseudomonas, Delftia, Methylobacterium, Dietzia, Bacillus, Propionibacterium, Bradyrhizobium, Streptomyces, Achromobacter, Microbacterium and Sphingomonas). However, manure-treated samples exhibited high number and heterogeneity of unique operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with enrichment of additional hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial taxa (Proteiniphilum, unclassified Micrococcales, unclassified Lachnospiraceae, Sphingobium and Stenotrophomonas). Thirty-three culturable hydrocarbon-degrading microbes were isolated from the co-composting microcosms and mainly classified into Burkholderia, Sanguibacter, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Rhodococcus, Lysinibacillus, Microbacterium, Brevibacterium, Geobacillus, Micrococcus, Arthrobacter, Cellulimicrobacterium, Streptomyces Dietzia,etc,. that was additionally affirmed with the presence of catechol 2,3-dioxygenase gene. Finally, enhanced in situ degradation of total (49%), LMW (>75%) and HMW PAHs (>35%) was achieved with an enriched bacterial consortium of these microbes. Overall, these findings suggests that co-composting treatment of crude oil sludge with animal manures selects for intrinsically diverse bacterial community, that could be a driving force behind accelerated bioremediation, and can be exploited for engineered remediation processes.

Mapping carcinogen exposure across urban fire incident response arenas using passive silicone-based samplers

Carcinogens are emitted in significant quantities at fire scenes and are a major contributor in the increased cancer risk observed in firefighters when compared to the general population. A knowledge gap exists in the current understanding of the distribution of these toxic compounds within a localized fire incident response arena. Here, we employ stationary silicone-based passive samplers at controlled live fire trainings to evaluate the deposition behavior of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emitted by fires. Our findings indicate significantly greater total PAH exposure in fires fueled by biomass and wood compared to fires burning cleaner fuels, such as propane. A 22% increase in total PAH deposition and a 68% increase in high molecular weight PAH deposition was recorded for biomass fueled fires compared to propane fueled fires. Furthermore, we observe that heavier molecular weight PAHs exhibit a pronounced deposition front within a certain radius of the hot zone, whereas low molecular weight PAHs are more uniformly distributed throughout the area. These findings highlight that the warm zones and cold zones of fire situations yield elevated levels of carcinogen exposure to first responders within them. We anticipate that these findings will help inform decisions made by emergency personnel when evaluating risk for the hot zone, warm zone, and cold zone of urban fires helping ease the carcinogenic risk experienced.

Constraining bioavailable polyaromatic hydrocarbons effectively during the production and application of biochar

Biochar has substantial potential as a globally significant negative emissions technology (NET) provided that it can be deployed economically at a sufficiently large scale without introducing unintended negative impacts. The generation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during the production of biochars has been identified as a potential risk. A commonly applied risk management and certification mechanism is to set an upper limit on the total PAH loading of the produced biochar. However, this simple metric does not take into account the strong affinity for biochar to bind PAHs, which can significantly reduce their bioavailablity and associated potential risks to health and the environment. Nor does reflect the fact that not all PAHs are the same, and that the distribution of more and less toxic species within the total is influenced by a number of feedstock and production factors. The capacity for biochar to adsorb potential toxins, not only PAHs, but also heavy metals and other organic pollutants from contaminated soils and aqueous media is an important and affordable mechanism to help reduce the uptake of such pollutants and their associated risks to health. Elevated concentrations of PAHs are often to be found in soils located in the vicinity of roads, heavy industries and crop-burning activities. The addition of suitably prepared biochar in such situations can result in a net reduction in bioavailable PAHs. Whilst the imposition of tight constraints is justifiable for certain applications, such as when used as a ruminant feed supplement, adherence to excessively tight constraints in general may unintentionally inhibit the generation of biochar by more affordable processes that would otherwise be sufficient to deliver net environmentally positive benefits, local and global. By managing overall risk on a more class-by-class basis, the potential for large-scale deployment of biochar as a NET may be realised effectively and safely. • Biochar is a negative emission technology but its potential is largely untapped. • Historic uncertainty concerning biochar–soil interactions has inhibited uptake. • Regarding PAH specifications, recent research significantly improves understanding. • Biochar applications can be segmented into categories with shared risks/benefits. • Linking specifications to categories may help increase uptake by providing clarity.

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in fish from two coastal lagoons of the central Mexican Pacific

Mexico has a great variety of aquatic ecosystems; however, most of them present significant contamination levels. Despite the efforts to monitor toxic and bioaccumulative persistent pollutants, they are still insufficient and outdated data from Mexican coasts, especially in polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), due to the number of aquatic bodies that have received little or no attention. In this regard, the Mexican Pacific's coastal zones and their aquatic ecosystems monitoring PCBs and PAHs in biota is critical because it allows us to estimate the potential risk to human health. This work aimed to determine the total concentration of polychlorinated biphenyls (ΣPCBs) and total polyaromatic hydrocarbons (ΣPAHs) in the muscle of fish collected in two coastal lagoons of the central Mexican Pacific and to determine the non-carcinogenic risk ratio (HQ) based on the monthly per capita consumption of national fish and the consumption of fish associated with fishing communities in Mexico. It was found that the potential risk for fishing communities is considerably higher and correlates to the rate of fish consumption, highlighting their vulnerability to these contaminants.

Biomonitoring of polyaromatic hydrocarbon accumulation in rural gardens using lettuce plants

PurposeAir pollution in settlements is one of the most important factors affecting human health. While urban gardening and the consumption of home-grown vegetables have become more and more popular, several studies establish the risk of consuming vegetables exposed to toxic air pollutants, especially polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, these studies mostly concern the risk in larger cities or in industrial areas while much less information is available in rural environments.MethodsIn our study, small settlements were selected for a pot accumulation study. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) plants were exposed for a 2-month period; PAH concentrations were determined both from the vegetable samples and pot soils.ResultsIn the lettuce samples, the concentration of total PAHs was in the range of 9.1 (Litér) and 185 μg/kg dry wt (Hajmáskér), in the soil samples in the range of 31.6 (Litér) and 595.1 μg/kg wt (Hárskút). Four ring PAHs showed the highest tendency to accumulate in the majority of soil samples.ConclusionPAH concentrations in some of the sampled villages were comparable to results reported from relatively polluted regions in the world. Source appointment revealed that biomass burning and fossil fuel usage were the major sources of PAHs in rural environment; in addition, the study highlighted how important it could be to analyze individual pollution sources.

Influence of unsaturation of hydrocarbons on the characteristics and carcinogenicity of soot particles

This paper concerns the effect of unsaturation of hydrocarbons (single, double, and triple bonds) on soot particle characteristics (mass, number, and size) and on the carcinogenicity of soot particles. The soot particles were produced from oxygen-free pyrolysis of five hydrocarbons, namely: propane, propylene, ethane, ethylene, and acetylene. The characteristics of soot particles were measured with the aid of a differential mobility spectrometer (Cambustion-DMS-500) and measurement of soot mass concentration was confirmed using gravimetric filter measurements. The soot particle carcinogenicity was estimated from the emission quantities of total polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the toxicity equivalent factor (TEF) of each PAH. Oxygen-free pyrolysis of the hydrocarbon fuels was conducted in a laminar tube reactor within the temperature range of 1050 –1350oC at a constant nitrogen flow rate of 20 L/min and constant fuel flow rate of 1% (vol) on carbon-1 basis. The experimental results showed that increasing unsaturation of fuels from single to double and to triple bonds increased the mass concentration, particle size, number concentration, and carcinogenicity of soot particle notably at the initial temperature of 1050 oC. Increase in the pyrolysis temperature of the tube reactor from 1050 – 1350oC, increased the mass concentration and sizes of the soot particle while the number concentration and carcinogenicity of the soot particle decreased. There was a positive correlation between the soot particle number and the corresponding soot particle carcinogenicity, while a negative correlation was observed between the soot particle mass and size with soot particle carcinogenicity regardless of the pyrolysis temperature examined. The potential implication of these observations is that, low-temperature combustion (LTC) applications, aimed at reducing emissions of soot and NOx, could produce higher soot particle number concentration of higher carcinogenicity.

Seasonal Variation of Volatile Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Released from Different Sources in South Cairo

Based on a year-round data-set (from January to November 2014), an intensive air sampling program was conducted during 2014 in four different function sites in South El-Tabbin city to study the temporally and spatially characteristics of Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the gaseous and particulate phases. This area is considered as one of the most polluted areas in Egypt as it includes heavy industrial plants, as well as it is bounded by heavy traffic. A total of 48 atmospheric samples were collected by a high-volume active air sampler. The gaseous and particulate phases of PAHs were extracted and analyzed using Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry together. The total concentrations of the sixteen PAHs (which tagged the United States Environmental Protection Agency priority) in the air of the study area ranged from 76.48 ± 19.44 µg/m3 to 26995.86 ± 2835.91 µg/m3. The average PAHs concentration in the coke production site was ~ 355 times of that in the residential area site. For the whole study area; 4, 5, and 6 rings PAHs were dominant and accounting for ~66% – ~84%. The total concentrations of combustion derived PAHs were ranged from 63.24 ± 17.35 µg/m3 to 17546.97 ± 1848.55 µg/m3 covering 65% − 83% of total PAHs which indicating large amounts of combustion sources existed from them in South El-Tabbin city. Seasonal trends of PAHs concentrations were observed with a high concentration in winter and low in summer where the average concentration of PAHs in winter was ~1.6 times higher than that in summer.

A support vector regression model for the prediction of total polyaromatic hydrocarbons in soil: an artificial intelligent system for mapping environmental pollution

The significance of total polyaromatic hydrocarbons (TPAH) determination in assessing the carcinogenicity of environmental samples for measuring the level of environmental pollution cannot be overemphasized. Despite the environmental danger of TPAH, its laboratory quantification is laborious, which consumes appreciable time and other valuable resources. This research work develops a computational intelligence-based model for the first time, which directly estimates and quantifies the level of TPAH of any environmental solid samples using total petroleum hydrocarbons descriptor that can be easily determined experimentally. The hyperparameters of the developed support vector regression (SVR)-based model are optimized using manual search (MS) approach and genetic algorithm (GA) search approach with Gaussian and polynomial kernel functions. Experimental validation of the developed model was carried out using samples obtained from the marine sediments of Arabian Gulf Sea. The future generalization and predictive strength of the developed models were assessed using correlation coefficient (CC), root-mean-square error, mean absolute error and mean absolute percentage deviation (MAPD). GA-SVR-Gaussian performs better than MS-SVR and GA-SVR-poly with performance enhancement of 63.89% and 536.32%, respectively, on the basis of MAPD as a performance-measuring parameter, while MS-SVR model performs better than GA-SVR-poly with performance improvement of 288.25% using MAPD to evaluate the model performance. The estimation accuracy and generalization strength of the developed models indicate the potential of the models in measuring the level of environmental pollution of oil-spilled area without experimental stress, while experimental precision is preserved.

Comparative Assessment of PAHs Reduction in Soil by Growing Zea mays L. Augmented with Microbial Consortia and Fertilizer: Modulation in Uptake and Antioxidant Defense Response

Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are found ubiquitously in the environment and are carcinogenic and recalcitrant in nature, hence their fate in crops is imperative to quantify. In present study, the role of petroleum hydrocarbon (PH) degrading microbial consortium and organic fertilizer in the translocation and accumulation of PAHs in a crop plant i.e., Zea mays var. NMH-589 was determined under experimental simulated condition using spiked soil with PAHs mixture (300 µg g−1 phenantherene, 300 µg g−1 anthracene, 200 µg g−1 pyrene, and 200 µg g−1 fluoranthene). After 32 days of treatment, removal of 49.7% of PAHs mixture (k = 0.01552 d−1, t1/2 = 44.6 d) in soil was observed due to growth of maize plant, compared to only 31% removal in non-planted soil (k = 0.0097, t1/2 = 71.456). While growing maize plant amended with organic fertilizer and microbial consortium (Pseudomonas sp. BP10 and Penicillium oxalicum PS10), enhanced the degradation rate of PAHs in soil by 99.4% (k = 0.03107 d−1, t1/2 = 22.3 d). Maximum accumulation of total PAHs mixture in plant tissues (root, shoot, and leaves) was 99.5, 63.5, and 43.5 µg g−1, respectively without any amendment, while the accumulation was lowest i.e., 11.4 µg g−1, 1.2 µg g−1 and not detected, respectively when the soil was amended with microbes and cow-dung manure. Plants also stimulated the microbial count in soil by enhancing their CFU g−1 of soil up to 503%), while the addition of microbial consortium reduced the PAHs stress to plant concurrent with the decrease in antioxidant activities of the plant.

Observed Daily Profiles of Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons and Quinones in the Gas and PM1 Phases: Sources and Secondary Production in a Metropolitan Area of Mexico

The diel variation of meteorological conditions strongly influences the formation processes of secondary air pollutants. However, due to the complexity of sampling highly reactive chemical compounds, significant information about their transformation and source can be lost when sampling over long periods, affecting the representativeness of the samples. In order to determine the contribution of primary and secondary sources to ambient levels of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and quinones, measurements of gas and PM1 phases were conducted at an urban site in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area (GMA) using a 4-h sampling protocol. The relation between PAHs, quinones, criteria pollutants, and meteorology was also addressed using statistical analyses. Total PAHs (gas phase + PM1 phase) ambient levels ranged between 184.03 ng m−3 from 19:00 to 23:00 h and 607.90 ng m−3 from 07:00 to 11:00 h. These figures both coincide with the highest vehicular activity peak in the morning and at night near the sampling site, highlighting the dominant role of vehicular emissions on PAHs levels. For the gas phase, PAHs ranged from 177.59 to 595.03 ng m−3, while for PM1, they ranged between 4.81 and 17.44 ng m−3. The distribution of the different PAHs compounds between the gas and PM1 phases was consistent with their vapour pressure (p °L) reported in the literature, the PAHs with vapour pressure ≤ 1 × 10−3 Pa were partitioned to the PM1, and PAHs with vapour pressures ≥ 1 × 10−3 Pa were partitioned to the gas phase. PAHs diagnostic ratios confirmed an anthropogenic emission source, suggesting that incomplete gasoline and diesel combustion from motor vehicles represent the major share of primary emissions. Quinones ambient levels ranged between 18.02 ng m−3 at 19:00–23:00 h and 48.78 ng m−3 at 15:00–19:00 h, with significant increases during the daytime. The distribution of quinone species with vapour pressures (p °L) below 1 × 10−4 Pa were primarily partitioned to the PM1, and quinones with vapour pressures above 1 × 10−4 Pa were mainly partitioned to the gas phase. The analysis of the distribution of phases in quinones suggested emissions from primary sources and their consequent degradation in the gas phase, while quinones in PM1 showed mainly secondary formation modulated by UV, temperature, O3, and wind speed. The sampling protocol proposed in this study allowed obtaining detailed information on PAHs and quinone sources and their secondary processing to be compared to existing studies within the GMA.

Distribution of Policyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a snow cover in the territory of Ivanovo city, Russia.

The paper presents the results of a study of the content of 12 polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the snow cover of the city of Ivanovo (Russian Federation). It is shown that their average content exceeds the background level by 6.6 times, which made it possible to identify for which compounds the admission channels are associated with transboundary transport (naphthalene, pyrene, benz [b]fluorantin, benzo [a]pyrene and dibenz [a,h]anthracene), and for which with local emission sources (anthracene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, chrysene, benz [k]fluorantin, and benzo [g,h,i]perylene). According to the known indicator ratios of the concentrations of PAHs, the main sources of release (pyrogenic and mixed) PAHs into the environment were estimated. The combination of experimental data in combination with factor analysis allowed identifying priority PAHs (naphthalene, fluoren, fluoranthene, benzo [a]pyrene and benzo [g,h,i]perylene), which should be included in the environmental monitoring programs of the region. Environmental risk assessments are given, which showed that the level of pollutant does not always adequately reflect the environmental impact for the territories. Thus, the contribution to the total PAH concentration of benz [b]fluorantin is only 9%, and to the amount of environmental risk - 51%. This must be taken into account in order to prioritize the control of individual components of PAHs in environmental objects.

Testing a novel biotechnological passive sampler for monitoring atmospheric PAH pollution

In this study we evaluated a new type of passive air sampler, the “mossphere” device, filled with a Sphagnum palustre clone. For this purpose, we compared the atmospheric levels of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) collected using this device and those collected in conventional bulk deposition and particulate matter (PM10) samplers. All three types of samplers were exposed at 10 sites affected by different levels of pollution and located in two different climate zones. The bulk deposition/ mossphere comparison yielded a greater number of significant regressions with higher coefficients of determination than the PM10/ mossphere comparison. No significant regressions were observed for 3-ring PAHs in either comparison. The mosspheres explain ca. 50% of the variability of the concentrations of 4-, 5- and 6-ring PAHs and total PAHs detected in PM10 and ca. 70% of the corresponding concentrations detected in the bulk deposition. The use of the Sphagnum clone enables standardization of the set-up, thus making the mossphere device a good sampling tool for monitoring 4-, 5- and 6-ring and total PAHs, especially those associated with bulk deposition. The findings indicate the potential usefulness of this innovative technology for mapping PAH levels.

Levels of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediment samples from selected Jordanian dams

An experimental study was carried out on sediment of five Jordanian dams namely Tannur, Mujib, Karamah, King Talal, and Wadi ElArab to assess the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations by using GC/MS. King Talal dam had highest concentration of all studied pollutants flowed by Wadi ElArab. Both dams are considered most polluted dams, the total PAHs concentration (∑PAHs) was found for both dams as 69.91 ng/g and 35.31 ng/g, respectively, also ∑pg TEQ/g value was found to be 3470.95 and 278.62 for both dams, respectively. The calculated total cancer risk for each dam shows that King Talal dam and Wadi ElArab had highest value which is 2.40304E–05 and 1.92897E–06, respectively. It was found that Tannur, Mujib, and Karamah dams are relatively clean with low pollution level compared to King Talal and Wadi ElArab dams. This is because there are no industrial activities in their surroundings and could also be explained by the fact that these compounds need harder conditions to be synthesized. It was found that source of PAHs in the sediments of all dams is related to pyrolytic processes. This environmental study provides up-to-date data for researchers around the world of PAHs concentrations in Jordanian dams as indicator for pollution and comparison purposes.

Influence of filling stations on the ecological condition of the atmosphere of urban agglomeration (on the example of Arkhangelsk)

The article assesses the effect of filling stations on the content of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the snow cover of urban agglomerations. Snow cover is a good depositing matrix of organic pollutants and serves as an indicator of the state of the atmosphere. During the work, snow samples were taken at about two filling stations - within the city limits and outside the city limits. The samples carried out a quantitative chemical analysis of 14 PAHs and their total concentration. It was determined that the total concentration of PAHs in the snow cover does not depend on the distance from the filling station, the pollution of the atmosphere of PAH occurs regardless of the economic activity of the filling station. The maximum total concentration of PAHs is 283 ng / kg at one of the points near the filling station located in the city. According to the results of the research, it can be concluded that the pollution of the atmosphere of Arkhangelsk occurs in places of traffic congestion and is significantly lower than other cities of Russia (13 times lower than in Moscow). 83% of polyaromatic hydrocarbons in the snow of Arkhangelsk account for phenanthrene, fluoranthene, pyrene, chrysene, benz(b)fluoranthene and naphthalene. Benz(a)pyrene is 4% of the total PAH content. In order to study the ecological status of areas, it is necessary to investigate a complex of 14 PAHs. The content of benz(a)pyrene and naphthalene in snow samples taken in the city of Arkhangelsk does not exceed the MPC.