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Toxicity evaluation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils of coal chemical industry areas, North China

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Abstract

Objectives of this study were to investigate the concentrations, distributions, toxicities, and risk assessment of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface soils surrounding a coal chemical industrial zone in the southeast of Shanxi province, China. A total of 52 topsoil samples were collected from different land-use areas: cereal agriculture, roadsides, and parkland. Results show that the total PAHs (∑16PAHs) ranged from 3.87 × 103 to 116 × 103 µg kg−1 and that the total carcinogenicity PAHs (∑BPAHs) ranged from 3.11 × 103 to 94.2 × 103 µg kg−1, with the highest concentration of ∑16PAHs noted in the RS samples, followed by PS and AS. The entire risk quotient of all PAH maximum permissible concentrations (RQ∑PAHMPCi) was greater than 1.0, and the minimum concentration entire risk quotient (RQ∑PAHNCi) of 84.3% of all samples was higher than 800. The value of the total toxicity equivalent concentration of PAH (PAHBapeq) for areas surrounding the coal chemical industrial zone was higher than the value of the standard level, and the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) far exceeds the U.S. EPA’s risk standard. The toxic properties of PAHs indicated that the soils in the survey areas have a high risk to human health and the environment.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDA23010401), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant No. 41977122), the Fund for Shanxi Key Subjects Construction, the Science and Research Program of Changzhi University (JD201603) and National Undergraduate Innovation Program (2016426).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences and Technology, Changzhi University, Changzhi, 046011, China

    Haihua Jiao, Gaopeng Bian & Qi Wang

  2. Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China

    Haihua Jiao, Rui Li, Zhihui Bai, Yue Li & Decai Jin

  3. Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Taiyuan, 030000, China

    Wenyan Chen

  4. College of Environment and Resources, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Rui Li, Zhihui Bai & Decai Jin

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  1. Haihua Jiao
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Contributions

HJ performed formal analysis, methodology, and writing—original draft. WC, RL, GB, and QW did experimental operation and data analysis. ZB and YL validated experimental design, article structure, and language modification. DJ was involved in conceptualization, experimental design, data collection, data analysis, and the manuscript revise. All gave final approval and agree to be accountable for all aspects of work ensuring integrity and accuracy.

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Correspondence to Decai Jin.

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Jiao, H., Chen, W., Li, R. et al. Toxicity evaluation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils of coal chemical industry areas, North China. Environ Geochem Health 45, 1889–1903 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-022-01306-9

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