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Distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the surface water of Taizi River, Northeast of China

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Abstract

Spatial and seasonal distribution and sources of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), identified as priority pollutants by the US Environmental Protection Agency, were investigated in the surface water of the Taizi River in Liaoning Province, northeast of China. Samples were collected from the mainstream, and tributaries of the Taizi River in dry, wet, and normal seasons. Five important industrial point sources were also monitored. The total PAH concentrations ranged from 454.5 to 1,379.7 ng l−1 in the dry season, 1,801.6 to 5,868.9 ng l−1 in the wet season, and 367.0 to 5,794.5 ng l−1 in the normal season. The total PAH concentrations were significantly increased in the order of wet season > normal season > dry season. The profile of PAHs in the surface water samples was dominated by low molecular weight PAHs particularly with two- and three-ring components in the three seasons, suggesting that the PAHs were from a relatively recent local source. Source identification inferred that the PAHs in the surface water of the Taizi River came from both petrogenic inputs and pyrogenic sources.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41101289, 21277093, and 21047006), and the National Science and Technology Supporting Project (2011BAJ06B02).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Regional Environment and Eco-Remediation (Ministry of Education), Shenyang University, Shenyang, 110044, China

    Xueying Song, Xiaojun Hu, Miaomiao He, Rujing Liang & Yushuang Li

  2. Key Laboratory of Terrestrial Ecological Processes, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China

    Fengmei Li

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  1. Xueying Song
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  2. Xiaojun Hu
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  3. Miaomiao He
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  4. Rujing Liang
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  5. Yushuang Li
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  6. Fengmei Li
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Correspondence to Xiaojun Hu.

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Song, X., Hu, X., He, M. et al. Distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the surface water of Taizi River, Northeast of China. Environ Monit Assess 185, 8375–8382 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-013-3179-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-013-3179-2

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