title: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their polar derivatives (oxygenated PAHs, azaarenes) in soils along a climosequence in Argentina.
abstract: We evaluated the effects of soil properties and climate on concentrations of parent and oxygenated polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAHs and OPAHs) and azaarenes (AZAs) in topsoil and subsoil at 20 sites along a 2100-km north (N)-south (S) transect in Argentina. The concentrations of Σ29PAHs, Σ15OPAHs and Σ4AZAs ranged 2.4-38 ng g(-1), 0.05-124 ng g(-1) and not detected to 0.97 ng g(-1), respectively. With decreasing anthropogenic influence from N to S, low molecular weight PAHs increasingly dominated. The octanol-water partitioning coefficients correlated significantly with the subsoil to topsoil concentration ratios of most compounds suggesting leaching as the main transport process. Organic C concentrations correlated significantly with those of many compounds typical for atmosphere-soil partitioning. Lighter OPAHs were mainly detected in the S suggesting biological sources and heavier OPAHs in the N suggesting a closer association with parent-PAHs. Decreasing alkyl-naphthalene/naphthalene and 9,10-anthraquinone (9,10-ANQ)/anthracene ratios from N to S indicated that 9,10-ANQ might have originated from low-temperature combustion.
authors.affiliation: Geographic Institute, University of Berne, Hallerstrasse 12, 3012 Berne, Switzerland. Electronic address: wolfgang.wilcke@giub.unibe.ch.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wilcke
authors.affiliation: Geographic Institute, University of Berne, Hallerstrasse 12, 3012 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Benjamin A Musa
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Bandowe
authors.affiliation: Geographic Institute, University of Berne, Hallerstrasse 12, 3012 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Maria Gomez
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Lueso
authors.affiliation: Geoecology, University of Tübingen, Rümelinstrasse 19-23, 72070 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruppenthal
authors.affiliation: Ecología Terrestre, Centro Nacional Patagónico (CENPAT), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Boulevard Brown 2825, U9120ACF Puerto Madryn, Argentina.
authors.forename: Hector
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Del Valle
authors.affiliation: Geoecology, University of Tübingen, Rümelinstrasse 19-23, 72070 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oelmann
mesh_terms: D001118:Argentina; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants
keywords: Argentina; Climatic conditions; Leaching; Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs); Soil properties