title: Toxic airborne S, PAH, and trace element legacy of the superhigh-organic-sulphur Raša coal combustion: Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity assessment of soil and ash.
abstract: This paper presents the levels of sulphur, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and potentially toxic trace elements in soils surrounding the Plomin coal-fired power plant (Croatia). It used domestic superhigh-organic-sulphur Raša coal from 1970 until 2000. Raša coal was characterised by exceptionally high values of S, up to 14%, making the downwind southwest (SW) area surrounding the power plant a significant hotspot. The analytical results show that the SW soil locations are severely polluted with S (up to 4%), and PAHs (up to 13,535ng/g), while moderately with Se (up to 6.8mg/kg), and Cd (up to 4.7mg/kg). The composition and distribution pattern of PAHs in the polluted soils indicate that their main source could be airborne unburnt coal particles. The atmospheric dispersion processes of SO2 and ash particles have influenced the composition and distribution patterns of sulphur and potentially toxic trace elements in studied soils, respectively. A possible adverse impact of analysed soil on the local karstic environment was evaluated by cytotoxic and genotoxic methods. The cytotoxicity effects of soil and ash water extracts on the channel catfish ovary (CCO) cell line were found to be statistically significant in the case of the most polluted soil and ash samples. However, the primary DNA-damaging potential of the most polluted soil samples on the CCO cells was found to be within acceptable boundaries.
authors.affiliation: University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science, Department of Geology, Horvatovac 95, Zagreb, Croatia. Electronic address: gordana.medunic@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gordana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Medunić
authors.affiliation: Ruđer Bošković Institute, Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Marijan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahel
authors.affiliation: Ruđer Bošković Institute, Division of Experimental Physics, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Iva Božičević
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Mihalić
authors.affiliation: University of Zagreb, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Višnja Gaurina
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Srček
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Nevenka
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kopjar
authors.affiliation: Ruđer Bošković Institute, Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Željka
authors.initials: Ž
authors.lastname: Fiket
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Tomislav
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bituh
authors.affiliation: Ruđer Bošković Institute, Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Iva
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mikac
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D003031:Coal; D017523:Croatia; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D007059:Ictaluridae; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D010053:Ovary; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D011210:Power Plants; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D013455:Sulfur / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D003031:Coal; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014131:Trace Elements; D013455:Sulfur
keywords: CCO cell line; Comet assay; Ecological risk; Organic pollutants; PIXE; Sulphur pollution