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Distribution, sources, and ecological risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the water and suspended sediments from the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China

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Abstract

Samples were collected from the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China, to study the concentrations, distributions, and compositions of 16 US-EPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water and suspended particulate matter (SPM). We also evaluated sources of the PAHs and their potential toxicity. Total concentrations of the PAHs (ΣPAHs) in water ranged from 17.33 to 77.12 ng L−1, and in SPM, the levels ranged from 595.91 to 2473.74 ng g−1. Total concentrations of seven carcinogenic PAHs (ΣCPAHs) ranged from 7.63 to 13.02 ng L−1 in water and 276.55 to 1216.89 ng g−1 in SPM. PAH levels in water samples were relatively low, and those in the lower reaches were higher than in the middle reaches. SPM samples had higher levels of PAHs, especially in the lower reaches and in Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake. Principal component analysis (PCA) with multiple linear regression analysis (MLR) was performed to quantitatively characterize the PAH sources. Two factors and their contributions were identified from water samples. Coal and wood combustion accounted for 74.1 % of the PAHs, and petroleum emissions explained 25.9 % of the PAHs. Three source factors were identified from SPM samples: these were vehicular emissions (46.3 % of PAHs), wood and coal combustion (40.4 % of PAHs), and petrogenic sources (13.3 %). Ecological risk assessment indicated that a moderate undesirable impact will be caused by PAHs, and some control measures and remedial actions should be conducted.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (grant no. 2013CB956503) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 41471431).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, Nanjing University, Xianlin Avenue 163, Nanjing, 210023, China

    Chenglong Wang, Xinqing Zou, Yifei Zhao, Baojie Li, Qiaochu Song, Yali Li & Wenwen Yu

  2. Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Coast and Island Development, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China

    Chenglong Wang, Xinqing Zou, Yifei Zhao, Baojie Li, Qiaochu Song, Yali Li & Wenwen Yu

  3. Collaborative Innovation Center of South China Sea Studies, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China

    Xinqing Zou

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  1. Chenglong Wang
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Wang, C., Zou, X., Zhao, Y. et al. Distribution, sources, and ecological risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the water and suspended sediments from the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 17158–17170 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6846-3

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