title: Distribution characteristics and source apportionment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Liao River drainage basin, northeast China.
abstract: The Liao River drainage basin, which is one of China's seven major rivers basins, is located in northeast China. This region is characterized by important industrial bases including steel factories and oil and chemical plants, all of which have the potential to contribute pollutants to the drainage basin. In this study, 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water and suspended particulate matter (SPM) in the major rivers of the Liao River drainage basin were identified and quantified by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The total PAH concentrations ranged from 0.4 to 76.5 μg/g (dry weight) in SPM and 32.6 to 108 ng/L in surface water, respectively. Low-ring PAHs (including two- and three-ring PAHs) were dominant in all PAH samples, and the level of low-ring PAHs in surface water was higher than that in SPM. The proportion of two-ring PAHs was the highest, accounting for an average of 68.2 % of the total PAHs in surface water, while the level of three-ring PAHs was the highest in SPM, with an average of 66.3 %. When compared with other river systems, the concentrations of PAHs in the Liao River drainage basin were lower. Identification of the emission sources based on diagnostic ratios suggested petroleum and fossil fuel combustion were important contribution to PAHs in the study area.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.46 Guanshui Road, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550002, People's Republic of China. hujian@vip.skleg.cn.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.46 Guanshui Road, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550002, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Congqiang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.46 Guanshui Road, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550002, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Guoping
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
authors.forename: Yanlin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.46 Guanshui Road, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550002, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Siliang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.46 Guanshui Road, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550002, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhiqi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
authors.forename: Baojian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 10049, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qinjun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis; D010578:Petroleum / Q000032:analysis; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D052638:Particulate Matter; D010578:Petroleum; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Diagnostic ratio; Emission sources; Liao River drainage basin; PAHs