title: The relative abundance and seasonal distribution correspond with the sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the surface sediments of Chenab River, Pakistan.
abstract: Chenab River is one of the most important rivers of Punjab Province (Pakistan) that receives huge input of industrial effluents and municipal sewage from major cities in the Central Punjab, Pakistan. The current study was designed to evaluate the concentration levels and associated ecological risks of USEPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the surface sediments of Chenab River. Sampling was performed from eight (n = 24) sampling stations of Chenab River and its tributaries. We observed a relatively high abundance of ∑16PAHs during the summer season (i.e. 554 ng g(-1)) versus that in the winter season (i.e. 361 ng g(-1)), with an overall abundance of two-, five- and six-ring PAH congeners. Results also revealed that the nitrate and phosphate contents in the sediments were closely associated with low molecular weight (LMW) and high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs, respectively. Source apportionment results showed that the combustion of fossil fuels appears to be the key source of PAHs in the study area. The risk quotient (RQ) values indicated that seven PAH congeners (i.e. phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo(a)pyrene, chrysene and benzo(a)anthracene) could pose serious threats to the aquatic life of the riverine ecosystem in Pakistan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan.|Department of Energy, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Tulln, Austria.|Department of Molecular Systems Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Imran
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China. jabirshah100@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Jabir Hussain
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Syed
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Atif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kamal
authors.affiliation: Environmental Biology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Mehreen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.affiliation: Public Health and Environment Division, Department of Biosciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology Chak Shehzad Park Road, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Syed-Ali-Mustjab-Akbar-Shah
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Eqani
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.|Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Chui Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Bong
authors.affiliation: NORMENT, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Malik Mumtaz
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Taqi
authors.affiliation: Department of Energy, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Tulln, Austria.
authors.forename: Thomas G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Reichenauer
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China.
authors.forename: Gan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Environmental Biology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan. r_n_malik2000@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: Riffat Naseem
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Malik
mesh_terms: D002947:Cities; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010154:Pakistan; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012621:Seasons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Chenab River; Ecological risk assessment; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); Seasonal distribution; Source apportionment; Surface sediments