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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in rural soils of Dongjiang River Basin: occurrence, source apportionment, and potential human health risk

  • SOILS, SEC 3 • REMEDIATION AND MANAGEMENT OF CONTAMINATED OR DEGRADED LANDS • RESEARCH ARTICLE
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Abstract

Purpose

A comprehensive study was conducted to investigate the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Dongjiang River Basin (DRB) soils and to evaluate their sources and ecological and health risk. In addition, factors affecting the distribution and fate of PAHs in the soils such as emission density, soil organic matter, degradation, etc. were studied.

Materials and methods

Surface soil (0–20 cm) samples from 30 sampling sites in the rural areas of DRB were collected and analyzed for 17 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (16 EPA priority PAHs and perylene). Positive matrix factorization model was used to investigate the source apportionment of these PAHs, and an incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) was used to estimate the integrated lifetime risks of exposure to soil-borne PAHs through direct ingestion, dermal contact, and inhalation collectively.

Results and discussion

The total PAH concentrations in the rural soils in DRB range from 23.5 to 231 μg/kg with a mean concentration of 116 μg/kg. The predominant PAHs in the rural soils were naphthalene, fluoranthene, phenanthrene, and benzo(b)fluoranthene. Cluster analysis was performed to classify the soil PAHs into three clusters, which could be indicative of the soil PAHs with different origins and different properties. Source apportionment results showed that coal, biomass, oil, commercial creosotes, and vehicle contributed 24 %, 24 %, 17 %, 17 %, and 18 % of the total soil PAH burden, respectively. The ILCR results indicated that exposure to these soil-borne PAHs through direct ingestion, dermal contact, and inhalation collectively produces some risk.

Conclusions

PAHs in the soils of the DRB will produce long-term influences on rivers and oceans via soil erosion and river transport. Therefore, PAHs in rural soils of DRB have potential impacts on the water supply and human health risk.

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Acknowledgments

This research was financially supported by a key project of NNSFC—Guangdong (U1201235), GIGCAS 135 project (Y234081001), a general project, and a “Team Program” project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (project nos. 40972222 and 41121063), which were much appreciated. This is contribution no. IS-1701 from GIGCAS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China

    Taihui Zheng & Yong Ran

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Taihui Zheng

  3. State Department of Environmental Protection, South China Institute of Environmental Science, Guangzhou, 510655, China

    Laiguo Chen

Authors
  1. Taihui Zheng
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  2. Yong Ran
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  3. Laiguo Chen
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Correspondence to Yong Ran.

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Responsible editor: Bernd Markert

Electronic supplementary material

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ESM 1

One table listing the sampling sites and two figures showing the relationship between total PAHs and TOC, and factor profiles of individual PAH compounds in the five factors identified by PMF mode, respectively, are available on the website. (DOC 1774 kb)

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Zheng, T., Ran, Y. & Chen, L. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in rural soils of Dongjiang River Basin: occurrence, source apportionment, and potential human health risk. J Soils Sediments 14, 110–120 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-013-0753-8

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