title: On the use of PAH molecular diagnostic ratios in sewage sludge for the understanding of the PAH sources. Is this use appropriate?
abstract: The concentrations ratios of specific pairs of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widely used for the qualitative determination of the PAHs sources. These ratios are called PAHs molecular diagnostic ratios and are commonly used for PAHs concentrations in air, soils and sediments. Some scientists have extended the use of these ratios also for sewage sludges, suggesting that calculation of these ratios by individual PAHs concentrations can be as effective as in soils or sediments. This paper describes the reason why the PAH molecular ratios calculated from sewage sludge concentrations should not be used for the understanding of the PAH sources.
authors.affiliation: EC - Joint Research Centre, Institute for Health and Consumer Protection, Physical and Chemical Exposure Unit, Ispra (VA), TP-281, Via E. Fermi 1, I-21020, Italy. athanasios.katsogiannis@jrc.it <athanasios.katsogiannis@jrc.it>
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katsoyiannis
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Terzi
authors.forename: Quan-Ying
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Cai
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry*; D018508:Water Purification
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D012722:Sewage