title: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments from the Old Yellow River Estuary, China: occurrence, sources, characterization and correlation with the relocation history of the Yellow River.
abstract: The levels of 16 USEPA priority PAHs were determined in surface sediments and one dated sediment core from the abandoned Old Yellow River Estuary, China. Total PAH concentrations in the surface sediments ranged from 100.4 to 197.3 ng g(-1) dry weight and the total toxic equivalent quantity (TEQ(carc)) values of the carcinogenic PAHs were very low. An evaluation of PAH sources based on diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis suggested that PAHs in the surface sediments mainly derived from combustion sources. The total PAH concentrations altered significantly with year of deposition and showed quite different patterns of change compared with other studies: it is hypothesized that the principal cause of these changes is the relocation of the course of the Yellow River to the sea in 1976 and 1996.
authors.affiliation: CAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and the Environment, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, Anhui, China; State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710075, Shaanxi, China; University of Science and Technology of China-City University of Hong Kong Joint Advanced Research Centre, Suzhou 215123, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Zijiao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: CAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and the Environment, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, Anhui, China; State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710075, Shaanxi, China; University of Science and Technology of China-City University of Hong Kong Joint Advanced Research Centre, Suzhou 215123, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address: lgj@ustc.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Guijian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: CAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and the Environment, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, Anhui, China; University of Science and Technology of China-City University of Hong Kong Joint Advanced Research Centre, Suzhou 215123, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Ruwei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: CAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and the Environment, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, Anhui, China.
authors.forename: Chunnian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Da
mesh_terms: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D002681:China; D063366:Estuaries; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D007856:Lead Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis* / Q000266:history; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000266:history
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D007856:Lead Radioisotopes; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Dated sediment core; PAHs; Relocation history; Surface sediments