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Levels and distributions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in middle reach of Huaihe River, China: anthropogenic influences and ecological risks

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Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of aromatic hydrocarbons with high toxicity to human health. PAH emissions from industrial activities have become the primary sources of PAH contamination in Chinese watersheds. Here, we analyzed 10 individual priority PAHs in 120 water samples taken from middle reach of Huaihe River, China. The results show that the PAH levels in studied watershed are significantly lower as compared to other Chinese watersheds, approaching or slightly exceeding the PAH levels in watersheds from selected European and North American countries. We observe rather large variation in spatial and vertical PAH distributions, pointing to PAH inputs from local industrial emissions, and PAH cycle among atmosphere, water and sediment. Individual PAH ratios (i.e., phenanthrene/anthracene and fluorene/pyrene) and principal components analysis suggest a primarily pyrolytic PAH sources (combustion of coal and coke) in water column. Other accompanying PAH sources include emissions from steel industry and gasoline. Total toxic benzo[a]pyrene equivalent of PAHs in studied water column indicates that PAHs in watershed of middle reach of Huaihe River pose limited toxicity to the environment.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41173032), National Science and Technology Support Program (1012BAC10B02), Key Program for Science and Technology Development of Anhui Province (No. 12010402111) and the Creative project of the Huainan Mining Industry (Group) Co. Ltd.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and the Environments, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China

    Jiamei Zhang, Guijian Liu, Zijiao Yuan & Ruwei Wang

  2. State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an, 710075, Shaanxi, China

    Jiamei Zhang & Guijian Liu

  3. University of Science and Technology of China–City University of Hong Kong Joint Advanced Research Centre, Suzhou, 251006, Jiangsu, China

    Jiamei Zhang, Guijian Liu & Zijiao Yuan

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  1. Jiamei Zhang
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  2. Guijian Liu
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  4. Ruwei Wang
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Correspondence to Guijian Liu.

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Zhang, J., Liu, G., Yuan, Z. et al. Levels and distributions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in middle reach of Huaihe River, China: anthropogenic influences and ecological risks. Nat Hazards 74, 705–716 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-014-1210-8

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