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Distribution of 35 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Pine Needle Samples from Selected Locations in the Republic of Korea

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Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), dust, and wax were measured in pine needles, and PAHs were also measured in surface soil. Pearson correlation analysis was performed between the analytical values. The main compounds responsible for the increase in total PAHs were non-carcinogenic phenanthrene and fluoranthene. Therefore, the % content of carcinogenic PAHs decreased with a slope = -0.037 (r = 0.47, p < 0.01), as the total PAH concentration in pine needles increased. Correlations between individual PAHs in pine needles and surface soil were very high when only low-number ring PAHs (2R- and 3R-PAHs) were statistically analyzed and significant when only high-number ring PAHs were statistically analyzed. Low-number ring PAH mainly moves in the gas phase and diffuses into the wax layer, so it was found to be statistically significant with the wax content of pine needles. High-number ring PAHs showed a high correlation with the amount of dust in pine needles because they mainly attached to dust particles and accumulated on the surface of pine needles. The ratios of fluoranthene/pyrene and methylphenanthrene/phenanthrene for predicting the origin of atmospheric PAHs have also been proven valid for pine needles.

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Data Availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Institute of Environment Research (NIER) funded by the Ministry of Environment (MOE) of the Republic of Korea (Grant No.: NIER-2020-01-01-058).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Natural Environment Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research, 42, Hwangyeong-Ro, Seo-Gu, Incheon, 22689, Republic of Korea

    David Chung, Tae Kyung Kim & Ki Wan Park

  2. International Advanced Analytical Institute, Dokang-Gu, Goyang, Gonggi-Do, Republic of Korea

    Yun-Suk Oh & Ho-Sang Shin

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  1. David Chung
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  2. Tae Kyung Kim
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  3. Ki Wan Park
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  4. Yun-Suk Oh
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Correspondence to Ho-Sang Shin.

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Chung, D., Kim, T.K., Park, K.W. et al. Distribution of 35 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Pine Needle Samples from Selected Locations in the Republic of Korea. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 112, 74 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-024-03887-w

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