title: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in upstream riverine runoff of the Pearl River Delta, China: an assessment of regional input sources.
abstract: Water samples collected from upstream tributaries of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) and from locations within the PRD (South China) were analyzed for 27 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Average concentrations (aqueous plus particulate) of total 27 PAHs (Σ(27)PAH), 16 priority PAHs designated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) except naphthalene (Σ(15)PAH), and the seven carcinogenic PAHs (Σ(7)PAH) classified by the USEPA were 260 ± 410, 130 ± 310, and 15 ± 12 ng/L, respectively. Riverine PAHs were predominantly generated from coal and vegetation combustion, coke production, vehicle exhausts, and petroleum residues, accounting for 28%, 25%, 22% and 21%, respectively, on average. Upstream riverine fluxes of Σ(27)PAH and Σ(15)PAH amounted to 38.9 and 12.9 tons/year, respectively. The net contributions of Σ(27)PAH and Σ(15)PAH from sources within the PRD were estimated at 21.4 and 21.0 tons/year, respectively.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 1131, Wushan, Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Ji-Zhong
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yu-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Eddy Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D003031:Coal / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D059392:Petroleum Pollution / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000032:analysis; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D003031:Coal; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D001335:Vehicle Emissions; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical