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Spatial distribution and potential toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments from Liaohe River Basin, China

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Abstract

The distribution and potential toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the sediments of Liaohe River Basin were investigated in this study. Total concentrations of 16 PAHs (∑PAH16) ranged from 82.5 to 25374.4 μg/kg averaging 3149.2 μg/kg. Three predominant PAHs were fluoranthene, phenanthrene, and pyrene. In Liao River, two-to-three-ring PAHs were dominant taking up 67.2–92.5 % of ∑PAH16, whereas sediments in Daliao River system mainly contained four-to-six-ring PAHs ranging from 47.8 to 83.7 %. Both petrogenic and pyrogenic sources contributed to the PAH pollution based on diagnostic ratios. The empirical and mechanistic sediment quality guidelines were used to estimate the toxicity risk of PAHs to benthic organisms. The ∑PAH16 in all sediments were significantly lower than probable effect concentrations (PEC), while ∑PAH16 at nine sites of the Daliao River system were between threshold effect concentrations (TEC) and PEC, suggesting that adverse effects were possible at the nine sites. The only individual PAH was acenaphthene whose concentrations were above PEC at some sites, indicating its potential toxicity. Based upon equilibrium partitioning theory and narcosis model, the obtained toxic units for PAH mixtures at all sites were far less than one, implying that the levels of PAH mixtures were acceptable for the protection of benthic fauna. The two evaluation methods lead to the consistent results that benthic organisms inhabiting in the sediments of Liaohe River Basin have no or low risk of adverse effects resulting from exposure to PAHs.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the Major Science and Technology Program for Water Pollution Control and Treatment (2012ZX07501-001) and the National Science Foundation of China (51178438).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100012, China

    Yan He

  2. State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China

    Yan He, Wei Meng, Jian Xu, Yuan Zhang & Changsheng Guo

  3. Laboratory of Riverine Ecological Conservation and Technology, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China

    Wei Meng, Jian Xu, Yuan Zhang & Changsheng Guo

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  1. Yan He
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  2. Wei Meng
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  3. Jian Xu
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  4. Yuan Zhang
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  5. Changsheng Guo
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Correspondence to Wei Meng.

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He, Y., Meng, W., Xu, J. et al. Spatial distribution and potential toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments from Liaohe River Basin, China. Environ Monit Assess 188, 193 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-016-5201-y

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