Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Dalian soils: distribution and toxicity assessment.
Concentrations of 15 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in surface soils collected from Dalian, China, for examination of distributions and composition profiles and their potential toxicity. The sum of 15 PAHs (SigmaPAHs) ranged from 190 to 8595 ng g(-1) dry weight, and showed an apparent urban-suburban-rural gradient in both SigmaPAHs and composition profiles. Using hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), the sampling sites were grouped into four clusters corresponding to traffic area, park/residential area, suburban and rural areas. The ratios of naphthalene (Nap) and fluorene (Fl) versus fluoranthene (Flu), pyrene (Pyr) and indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene (InP) in the four clusters provided evidence of local distillation. The diagnostic ratios indicated the prevalent PAH sources were petroleum combustion and coal combustion in Dalian, and a cross plot of diagnostic ratios distinguished the urban samples from suburban and rural ones. Toxic potency assessment of soil PAHs presented a good relationship with benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) levels, toxic equivalent concentrations based on BaP (TEQ(BaP)) and dioxin-like toxic equivalent concentrations (TEQ(TCDD)). The study highlights that BaP is a good indicator for assessing the potential toxicity of PAHs, and presents a promising toxicity assessment method for soil PAHs.
Wang
Zhen
Z
Department of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China. jwchen@dlut.edu.cn
Chen
Jingwen
J
Yang
Ping
P
Qiao
Xianliang
X
Tian
Fulin
F
D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity*; D002681:China; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity*; D011786:Quality Control; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity*
D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene