title: PAH-concentrations and compositions in the top 2 cm of forest soils along a 120 km long transect through agricultural areas, forests and the city of Oslo, Norway.
abstract: The top 2 cm of forest soils were collected along a 120 km long south-north transect running through Norway's largest city Oslo. Forty samples were analysed for their polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH(16) as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) concentrations and compositions. Local variations in the PAH values are high and the reported concentrations are in general low (maximum sumPAH16: 2.6 mg/kg). The transect shows distinct differences of sumPAH16 values from south to north. PAH concentrations are substantially lower in the less populated areas at the north end of the transect than at the urbanised and much more populated south end. Several high values occur in a forested area to the north of Oslo, used for recreation purposes. The PAH distribution patterns point towards a predominantly pyrogenic origin. Local Cambrian carbon-rich black shales can be excluded as sources for PAHs in the forest soils.
authors.affiliation: Geological Survey of Norway (NGU), Environmental Geochemistry, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reimann
authors.forename: Tor Erik
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Finne
authors.forename: Rolf Tore
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Ottesen
authors.forename: Arnold
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arnoldussen
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D002947:Cities; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D009664:Norway; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D011156:Population Density; D011998:Recreation; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D014197:Trees; D014507:Urbanization
chemical_list: D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D012989:Soil Pollutants