Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as indicators of anthropogenic activities, existed in sediments may pose potential risk to environment. In the present study, we assessed occurrence, composition, and risk assessment of PAHs in Wei River Basin. It was found that the total concentration (∑16PAHs) of selected PAHs in sediments for the main stream of Wei River and its tributaries ranged from n.d. (not detectable) to 577.25 ng g−1 and 36.35 to 2348.77 ng g−1, respectively. The PAHs were mostly dominated by PHE and FLT. Based on the diagnostic ratios of FLT/(FLT + PYR), BaA/(BaA + CHR), and PCA analysis, we deducted that diesel emissions and incomplete combustion of petroleum fuels were predominant in the selected area. For sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), adverse effects of three PAHs (ACE, PHE, and BgP) in sediment were occasionally observed, while the other 9 PAHs were considered to occur rarely. The total carcinogenicity of PAHs assessed by TEQBaP ranged from n.d. to 138.84 ng g−1, and BaP played the dominant role. The ecological risk of individual PAHs (ACE, FLU, PHE, FLT, PYR, BaA, BbF, BaP) were moderate, while other compounds were negligible. Total ecological risk of ∑16PAHs posed low to moderate ecological risk in Wei River Basin.
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The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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This project is supported by the Program Foundation of Institute for Scientific Research of Karst Area of NSFC-GZGOV (U1612442), Scientific research project of Guangzhou University (YK2020017), Guangzhou University’s 2017 training program for young top-notch personnel (BJ201713), Shaanxi Water Conservancy Science and Technology Plan Project (2013slkj-11), and Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region, China (UGC/FDS16/M07/19).
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Shi, Y., Lu, Y., Zhang, Y. et al. Investigation into Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Sediments of Wei River Basin. Water Air Soil Pollut 232, 476 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-021-05403-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-021-05403-w