Distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water, sediment and soil in drinking water resource of Zhejiang Province, China

The spatial and temporal distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was investigated in Qiantang River, the most important drinking water resource in Zhejiang Province, China. A total of 270 water samples, 64 sediment samples and 21 soil samples near riverbank were collected during January 2005-July 2006. The total concentrations of PAHs in water, sediments and soils ranged from 70.3 to 1844.4 ng/L, from 91.3 to 1835.2 ng/g and from 85.2 to 676.2 ng/g, respectively. The concentrations of PAHs in rural areas were lower than those in city zones. The concentrations of PAHs in July were the lowest while those in January were the highest during four seasons. The concentrations of PAHs in 2006 were compared with those in 2003 and 2005. The result showed PAHs pollution in this drinking water resource was increasing with time. The relationship between log K(oc) and log K(ow) of PAHs for field data on sediments and predicted values indicated that Qiantang River was mainly contaminated by petrogenic PAHs. The same result was obtained by the ratios of AN/(AN + Phen) and Flur/(Flur + Pye). Ratios of K(oc) for PAHs on sediments to that on corresponding soils indicated that PAHs in Qiantang River were mainly obtained from soil runoff.     

Aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Xihe River, an urban river in China's Shenyang City: distribution and risk assessment

The characteristics of petroleum hydrocarbons and the risks they pose to the ecosystem were studied in the Xihe River, which is an urban river located in Shenyang, China. High levels of aliphatic hydrocarbons (AHc) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were observed in the river due to the discharge of wastewater from industrial and municipal facilities for a long period of time. High-molecular-weight hydrocarbons, including unresolved complex mixtures (UCM) of n-alkanes between n-C16 and n-C32 and of PAHs with four to six rings, were the dominant hydrocarbons in the river, particularly in suspended particulate matter (SPM) and sediments. The AHc was mainly from petrogenic sources, whereas PAHs was from both pyrolytic and petrogenic source inputs. Our results suggest that there is a high risk of toxicity for the soils and groundwater of the study area. The overall toxicity in the sediments can be described using the toxic equivalent (TEQ) of dibenzo[a,h]anthracene (DBA) based on benzo(a)pyrene (TEQ(BaP)) and dioxins (TEQ(TCDD)) toxic equivalent concentrations. The TEQ values for benzo(a)pyrene (TEQ(BaP)) and dioxins (TEQ(TCDD)) presented a consistent assessment of sediment PAHs.     

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in water and suspended particulate matter from the Xijiang River, China

Concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in water and suspended particulate matter (SPM) collected from the Xijiang River, China, were measured by the quarter from September 2005 to June 2006. Total PCDD/F concentration ranged from 2.659 to 4.596pg/L for water and from 562.4 to 3259.5pg/g for SPM. Concentrations were high in summer and low in winter. I-TEQ values in water and SPM were low, ranging from 0.012 to 0.075pg/L, with a mean value of 0.039pg/L. Calculated annual loadings of total PCDD/Fs and I-TEQ were 8.55kg and 0.026kg, respectively. Composition and homologue distribution of PCDD/Fs were varied because of large seasonal differences in discharge from the Xijiang River into the South China Sea. Comparison of the PCDD/Fs homologue and congener profiles of atmospheric deposition, soil, and water revealed that soil was the dominant source of PCDD/Fs in the Xijiang River. Industrial effluents were also possible sources of PCDD/Fs. A good correlation between logK(oc) and logK(ow) was observed for 2,3,7,8-substituted PCDDs and PCDFs and correlation coefficients were 0.71 and 0.84, indicating organic matter in SPM played a dominant role in PCDD/Fs partition between SPM and water.     

Occurrence and phase distribution of selected pharmaceuticals in the Yangtze Estuary and its coastal zone

The occurrence and geochemical behavior of nine pharmaceutical compounds were investigated along the Yangtze River Estuary and its coastal area, by sampling and analysis of pharmaceuticals in sediment, suspended particulate matter (SPM), colloidal and soluble phases. In addition, the impact of sewage input was examined by sampling from sewage treatment plants (STP) effluent and its upstream and downstream in the Yangtze River. Although at relatively low concentrations in SPM and sediments, several pharmaceuticals were found at elevated concentration in filtered water samples from STP-affected sites. STP is therefore an important input of pharmaceuticals in the study area. Colloidal phase was further separated from bulk water samples using cross-flow ultrafiltration (CFUF), confirming it being an effective sorbent for pharmaceuticals with high sorption capacity which are 2-4 orders of magnitude higher than SPM. Moreover, mass balance calculations showed that significant percentages of selected pharmaceutical compounds were associated with aquatic colloids, indicating colloids as a reservoir for these contaminants in the Yangtze estuarine system.     

Characterization and distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in surface water and sediment from Qiantang River, China

The spatial and temporal distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been investigated in Qiantang River, an important drinking water resource in Yangzi River Delta, China. A total of 218 samples, including 180 water and 38 sediment samples were collected in January, April, July and October, 2005. The concentrations of total PAHs in water ranged from 70.3 to 1844.4ng/L with the mean value of 283.3ng/L, which were predominated by two- and three-ring PAHs. The concentration of total 15 PAHs in sediment ranges from 91.3 to 614.4ng/g dry weight with the mean value of 313.1ng/g dry weight, and three- and four-ring PAHs were dominant species. The ratios of AN/(AN+Phen) and Flur/(Flur+Pye) were calculated to evaluate the possible sources of PAHs. These ratios reflected a pattern of petrogenic input of PAHs in Qiantang River. The contents of PAHs in city zones were much higher than those in rural areas. It may be concluded that the urbanization and industrialization are causing some negative effect on the drinking water resource. As a drinking water resource, there existed certain potential health risks to drinking water consumers and organism in Qiantang River Basin.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water,sediment, soil,and plants of the Aojiang River waterway in Wenzhou,China

The town of Shuitou was renowned as the leather capital of China because of its large-scale tanning industry, but the industry's lack of pollution controls has caused severe damage to the local water system. This study determined 15 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water, sediment, soil, and plant samples collected from Aojiang River and its estuary. The total PAHs ranged from 910 to 1520 ng/L in water samples. The total PAH in sediments were moderate to low in comparison with other rivers and estuaries in China, but the relative proportions of PAHs per million people are high when considering the population size associated with each watershed. Ratios of fluoranthene/pyrene and PAHs with low/high molecular weight suggest a petrogenic PAH origin. The PAH composition profile in soil was similar to that in sediment with 4–6 ring PAHs being dominant. The PAHs with 2–3 rings were the dominant species in plant leaves. There were no correlations between PAHs in soils and in plants, suggesting that PAHs accumulate in plant leaves through absorption from the air. The general observation of elevated PAH concentrations in all matrix suggests a possible contribution by the local leather industry on the PAH concentrations in the Aojiang watershed.     

Comparison of ASE and SFE with Soxhlet, Sonication, and Methanolic Saponification Extractions for the Determination of Organic Micropollutants in Marine Particulate Matter

The methods of accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), aliphatic hydrocarbons, and chlorinated hydrocarbons from marine samples were investigated. The results of extractions of a certified sediment and four samples of suspended particulate matter (SPM) were compared to classical Soxhlet (SOX), ultrasonication (USE), and methanolic saponification extraction (MSE) methods. The recovery data, including precision and systematic deviations of each method, were evaluated statistically. It was found that recoveries and precision of ASE and SFE compared well with the other methods investigated. Using SFE, the average recoveries of PAHs in three different samples ranged from 96 to 105%, for ASE the recoveries were in the range of 97-108% compared to the reference methods. Compared to the certified values of sediment HS-6, the average recoveries of SFE and ASE were 87 and 88%, most compounds being within the limits of confidence. Also, for alkanes the average recoveries by SFE and ASE were equal to the results obtained by SOX, USE, and MSE. In the case of SFE, the recoveries were in the range 93-115%, and ASE achieved recoveries of 94-107% as compared to the other methods. For ASE and SFE, the influence of water on the extraction efficiency was examined. While the natural water content of the SPM sample (56 wt %) led to insufficient recoveries in ASE and SFE, quantitative extractions were achieved in SFE after addition of anhydrous sodium sulfate to the sample. Finally, ASE was applied to SPM-loaded filter candles whereby a mixture of n-hexane/acetone as extraction solvent allowed the simultaneous determination of PAHs, alkanes, and chlorinated hydrocarbons.     

色谱-质谱联机测定厦门港和员当湖表层沉积物中的石油烃和多环芳香烃的含量

2002年4月厦门港沿岸设九个站,员当湖设两个站采集表层积物,用有机溶剂萃取,硅胶柱色层分离,气相色谱-质谱联机带SIM数据采集系统对样品的石油烃类(M/Z=55),多环芳香烃类(15个典型的多环芳香烃,9个甲基化多环芳香烃作外标)进行分析,结果显示员当湖石油烃和多环芳香浓度分别高达1397微克/克(干)和1376.5纳克/克(干)。厦门港沉积物石油烃和多环芳香浓度范围为:石油烃133.3～943.3微克/克(干)多环芳香烃97.6～308.5纳克/克(干)。厦门港船只活动,厦门港四周工业废水、车辆燃油滴漏是石油烃污染的主要来源。厦门工业用煤、用油、生活用煤及船只、车辆燃料泄漏是沉积物多环芳香烃的主要来源,其工业排废、生活废水排放,市区雨水冲刷和大气灰尘沉降是多环芳香烃进入海湾的主要途径。     

Distribution of organochlorine pesticides in surface water and sediments from Qiantang River, East China

The levels of 13 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in surface water and sediments from Qiantang River in East China were investigated to evaluate their potential pollution and risks. A total of 180 surface water samples at 45 sampling sites and 48 sediment samples at 19 sampling stations were collected along the river in four seasons of 2005. Soil samples and wet deposition samples were also collected to provide evidence on the source of OCPs pollution. The total OCPs concentrations in surface water and sediments were 7.68-269.4 ng/L and 23.11-316.5 ng/g-dry weight (dw), respectively. The concentrations of OCPs in sediments were in the range of 8.22-152.1 ng/g-dw for HCHs (alpha-, beta-, gamma-, delta-HCH), 1.14-100.2 ng/g-dw for DDTs (p,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDT o,p'-DDD), 9.41-69.66 ng/g-dw for other OCPs (aldrin, diedrin, endrin, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide). The total OCPs concentrations in soils and wet deposition were 5.04-214.9 ng/g-dw and 16.18-242.4 ng/L, respectively. Among the OCPs, HCHs, DDTs and heptachlor were the most dominant compounds in the sediments. The dominant OCPs in water were gamma-HCH among HCHs, heptachlor among other OCPs and p,p'-DDE among DDTs. Also, different contamination patterns among sampling seasons were found. The concentrations of OCPs in sediment collected in spring were higher than those in summer and autumn. In contrast, the concentrations of OCPs in surface water in summer and autumn were higher among four sampling seasons. Distribution of HCHs, DDTs and other OCPs were different indicating their different contamination sources. The notable contamination was found in Fuchun reservoir. Composition analyses in sediments indicated a recent usage or discharge of lindane into the river.     

Phosphorus sorption and fraction characteristics in the upper, middle and low reach sediments of the Daliao river systems, China

Stream sediments play an important role in the transport and storage of phosphorus in the stream ecosystems. This research investigated the sorption and fraction of P in the sediments of a long-term seriously contaminated river, the Daliao river system, using isotherm sorption and selective sequentially extraction tests. Results indicated that the total content of P in the sediments was 479–1202 mg kg⁻¹, depending on iron content in the sediments. The content of potential bioavailable P, including soluble and loosely bound P, Al bound P, Fe bound P, and reductant soluble P was only 10–20% of total P in the sediments of the Hun river and Taizi river, while it was 40–55% in the sediments of the Daliao river, the downstream of the river system. Equilibrium phosphorus concentration without net P sorption (EPC₀) was from 0.05 to 0.54 mg L⁻¹, with an increasing trend from upstream to downstream, indicating increasingly release potential. On the other hand, the upstream sediment generally sorbed more P than the downstream sediment for each river at the same equilibrium P concentration. The binding energy constant of P on the strong sites of the sediments generally decreased from 2.24 to 2.65 L mg⁻¹ at upstream to 0.41 L mg⁻¹ at downstream or estuary, suggesting that the strong binding sites have been occupied and partly saturated by the phosphate added by point and diffuse sources along the river. On the other hand, molar ratio of Fe to TP contents in the sediments showed sorption capacity of the sediments to P might be under-saturated. The added or sorbed P by the isotherm test was primarily bound to Fe oxides and secondly to Al oxides. Long-term pollution of the river lead to the decrease of P sorption capacity of the river sediment and the increase of P release potential.     

Sequencing batch reactor performance treating PAH contaminated lagoon sediments

The applicability of sediment slurry sequencing batch reactors (SBR) to treat Venice lagoon sediments contaminated by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was investigated, carrying out experimental tests. The slurry, obtained mixing tap water and contaminated sediments with 17.1 mg kg(-1) TS total PAHs content, was loaded to a 8l lab-scale completely stirred reactor, operated as a sequencing batch reactor. Oxygen uptake rate exerted by the slurry, measured by means of a DO-stat titrator, was used to monitor the in-reactor biological activity and to select the optimal operating conditions for the sediment slurry SBR. The PAHs removal efficiency was evaluated in different operating conditions, obtained changing the hydraulic retention time (HRT) of the lab-scale reactor and adding an external carbon source to the slurry. HRT values used during the experiments are 98, 70 and 35 days, whereas the carbon source was added in order to evaluate its effect on the biological activity. The results have shown a stable degradation of PAHs, with a removal efficiency close to 55%, not dependent on the addition of carbon source and the tested HRTs.     

Particle size distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in motorcycle exhaust emissions

The size distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in emission of a two-stroke carburetor motorcycle was studied. The exhaust gas from the test motorcycle was passed to a dilution tunnel and collected using a 10 cascade micro-orifice uniform deposit impactor (MOUDI) of 0.056-10 microm aerodynamic diameter fitted with aluminum substrates. All MOUDI substrates were analyzed for particulate mass and for PAHs by GC/MS. Most of the 21 analyzed PAHs have two significant modes that peak at <0.1 and 0.18-0.32 microm. For some PAHs, a third peak appears around 1.8 microm. MOUDI impactor samples show that 88.9% particulate and 89.6% PAH mass distributed smaller than 2.5 microm. Mass median diameters of PAHs are about 0.2 microm. Total benzo[a]pyrene toxic equivalency emission factor was 440+/-13.8 ng/km for the test motorcycle. An average of 90.3% of carcinogenicity is observed in particulate smaller than 1.0 microm. The results suggest that submicron particulates predominate in the exhaust from motorcycle and exhibit high carcinogenic potency for these particulate.     

Measuring picogram per liter concentrations of freely dissolved parent and alkyl PAHs (PAH-34), using passive sampling with polyoxymethylene

Passive sampling with nondepletive sorbents is receiving increasing interest because of its potential to measure freely dissolved concentrations of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) at very low concentrations, as well as its potential for both laboratory use and field deployment. However, consistent approaches have yet to be developed for the majority of HOCs of environmental and regulatory interest. In the present study, a passive sampling method was developed which allows the freely dissolved concentrations of 18 parent and 16 groups of alkyl polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)'s "PAH-34" target compound list to be measured. Commercially available 76-μm-thick polyoxymethylene (POM) was placed in sediment/water slurries and exposed for up to 126 days, with 28 days found to be sufficient to obtain equilibrium among the sediment, water, and POM phases for the target 2- to 6-ring PAHs. The POM/water partition coefficients (K(POM)) necessary to calculate freely dissolved concentrations for parent PAHs were determined in two separate laboratories (one using pure standards, and the other using coal tar/petroleum-contaminated sediments) and agreed very well. Since the so-called "16" alkyl PAHs on the PAH-34 list actually include several hundreds of isomers for which no standards exist, sediments impacted by coal tar, or spiked with a coal tar/petroleum nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) were also used to measure K(POM) values for each alkyl PAH cluster. The log K(POM) values ranged from ca. 3.0 to 6.2 for 2- to 6-ring parent PAHs, and correlated well with SPARC octanol/water coefficients (K(OW)) (correlation coefficient of r(2) = 0.986). However, log K(POM) values for alkyl PAHs deviated increasingly from SPARC log K(OW) values with increasing degree of alkylation. A simple empirical model that incorporates the number of carbon atoms in a PAH gave a better fit to the experimental log K(POM) values, and was used to estimate log K(POM) for alkyl PAHs that could not be directly measured. Detection limits (as freely dissolved concentrations) ranged from ca. 1 part per trillion (ng/L) for the 2-ring PAH naphthalene, down to <1 pg/L (part per quadrillion) for the 5- and 6-ring PAHs. Sorption isotherms were linear (r(2) > 0.99) over at least 4 orders of magnitude.     

Risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a Mediterranean semi-enclosed basin affected by human activities (Abu Qir Bay, Egypt)

The contamination of sediments and mussels sampled from Abu Qir Bay by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was investigated. Concentrations of PAHs recorded in the bay sediments ranged from <MDL to 2660 μg/kg dw. In general, concentrations of PAHs in mussels were higher than their corresponding sediment concentrations reflecting their great bioavailability (242–3880 μg/kg dw). The highest concentration was observed in the western part of the bay, a location affected by intensive shipping activities. The distribution pattern of PAHs was similar for mussels and sediments, particularly for sediments characterized by high contamination level, and they were dominated by the high molecular weight PAHs (4–6-rings). Applying different PAHs ratios, it was found that PAHs originated predominantly from the pyrogenic source either from the combustion of grass, wood and coal (majority of the samples) or from petroleum combustion (harbour area). The output of a Screening Level Ecological Risk Assessment (SLERA) on the bay sediments revealed that adverse ecological effects to benthic organisms are expected to occur in only one sample, and thus PAHs are not considered as contaminants of concern in Abu Qir Bay. Also adverse health effects are not expected to occur from the consumption of the investigated mussels with respect to PAHs in Abu Qir Bay.     

Determination of metals by total reflection X-ray fluorescence and evaluation of toxicity of a river impacted by coal mining in the south of Brazil

Metal (Fe, Mn, Zn, Ni, Cd, and Pb) concentrations in the region of Criciuma (Brazil), a region impacted by coal mining, were determined in water and sediments using total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) spectroscopy. Samples were collected from the M?e Luzia River (south Brazil) at five different stations, from the source down to the river mouth (Ararangua estuary). Water and sediment toxicity were also evaluated using bioassays with Daphnia magna as the bioindicator. The metal present in the highest concentrations both in water (1.3-11 mg L(-1)) and in sediments (34-142 mg L(-1)) was iron. Results suggest an influence of coal mining on the aquatic receptors, showing a clear relationship between metal content (mostly Fe) and ecotoxicity.     

Quantitative analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water in the low-nanogram per liter range with two-step laser mass spectrometry

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of major concern in all environmental compartments due to the mutagenic and carcinogenic properties of many PAHs. Two-step laser mass spectrometry (L2MS) is a sensitive and selective method to measure PAHs in complex solid matrixes. However, in most studies, L2MS was used for qualitative or semiquantitative analyses. Here we present for the first time a quantitative method analyzing PAHs in water at the nanogram per liter level. PAHs are extracted from a 30-mL water sample with a solid PVC membrane, which is then directly measured by L2MS without further treatment. Detection limits are in the low-nanogram per liter range (2-125 ng/L) for skeletal three- to six-ring PAHs. Extraction efficiencies of this method are between 75 and 90%. In a first application, samples from a wastewater treatment plant were measured, showing that microbial activities efficiently decrease PAH concentrations by 75-90%.     

Sorption kinetics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons removal using granular activated carbon: intraparticle diffusion coefficients

Granular activated carbon (GAC) was evaluated as a suitable sorbent for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) removal from aqueous solutions. For this purpose, kinetic measurements on the extraction of a family of six PAHs were taken. A morphology study was performed by means of a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of GAC samples. Analyses of the batch rate data for each PAH were carried out using two kinetic models: the homogenous particle diffusion model (HPDM) and the shell progressive model (SPM). The process was controlled by diffusion rate the solutes (PAHs) that penetrated the reacted layer at PAH concentrations in the range of 0.2-10 mg L(-1). The effective particle diffusion coefficients (D(eff)) derived from the two models were determined from the batch rate data. The Weber and Morris intraparticle diffusion model made a double contribution to the surface and pore diffusivities in the sorption process. The D(eff) values derived from both the HPMD and SPM equations varied from 1.1 x 10(-13) to 6.0 x 10(-14) m(2) s(-1). The simplest model, the pore diffusion model, was applied first for data analysis. The model of the next level of complexity, the surface diffusion model, was applied in order to gain a deeper understanding of the diffusion process. This model is able to explain the data, and the apparent surface diffusivities are in the same order of magnitude as the values for the sorption of functionalized aromatic hydrocarbons (phenols and sulphonates) that are described in the literature.     

Particle-phase dry deposition and air-soil gas exchange of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Izmir, Turkey

Ambient air and dry deposition samples were collected at suburban and urban sites in Izmir, Turkey. Atmospheric total (particle+gas) ∑(14)PAHs concentrations were 36±39 and 144±163 ng m(-3) for suburban and urban sites, respectively. Phenanthrene was the most abundant compound at all sites, and all samples were dominated by low molecular weight PAHs. Average particulate ∑(14)PAH dry deposition fluxes were 8160±5024 and 4286±2782 ng m(-2) day(-1) and overall average particulate dry deposition velocities were 1.5±2.4 and 1.0±2.3 cm s(-1) for suburban and urban sites, respectively. Soil samples were collected at suburban site. Average soil concentration for ∑(14)PAH was 55.9±14.4 ng g(-1) dry weight. Calculated gas-phase air-soil exchange fluxes indicated that fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, and carbazole were deposited to soil in winter while they were volatilized in summer. Other compounds (fluoranthene-benzo[g,h,i]perylene) were deposited to soil in both periods. Annual average fluxes of PAHs representing soil to air (i.e., gas volatilization) and air to soil transfer (i.e., gas absorption, dry deposition, and wet deposition) processes were also compared. All processes were comparable for Σ(14)PAHs however their input was dominated by gas absorption. Gas absorption dominated for lower molecular weight PAHs, however dry deposition dominated for higher molecular weight PAHs. The results have suggested that for fluorene, soil and air may be approaching a steady state condition. For the remaining compounds, there was a net accumulation into the soil.     

Pollution patterns of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in tobacco smoke

Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in tobacco smoke of 12 commercial brand cigarettes were determined in a simulated chamber of 20.25 m3 in size. The total concentrations of 17 PAHs (summation operatorPAHs) in the chamber were 3500 and 1152 ng/m3 in vapor phase and particulate phase, respectively. In vapor phase, the yield of naphthalene (NA) appeared to be the most abundant (2462 ng/cig) followed by fluorene (FLUOR) and acenaphthylene (ACY), while the yield of benzo[ghi]perylene (BP) was the most abundant (259.7 ng/cig) in particulate phase followed by phenanthrene (PHEN) and FLUOR. The proportion of PAHs in particulate phase increased with increasing molecular weight. PAHs with two to six rings accounted for 40.2%, 35.3%, 11.7%, 7.6%, 5.2% of summation operatorPAHs, respectively. There was no obvious correlation between PAHs, benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) concentrations in tobacco smoke and smoking tar contents, nicotine contents. With the source fingerprint of PAHs in tobacco smoke, NA could be regarded as the marker of tobacco smoke source because of its largest contribution to summation operatorPAHs (40.2%), followed by FLUOR (12.7%) and ACY (9.8%). Further study indicated that more than 80% of BaP in indoor air of resident homes in Hangzhou was from tobacco smoke.     

Particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and n-alkanes in recycled paper processing operations

The aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic fractions of dust collected in the vicinity of recycled paper processing operations were analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Total measured dust concentration (up to 8.73+/-2.02 mg/m3) fluctuated substantially in the different steps of paper manufacture. This was attributed to the type of the operation such as, the release of fibers and particles during paper cutting and the use of reactive chemicals and excessive water under high temperature and pressure during the bleaching and the water rinsing/drying step. Particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (from fluorene to benzo[ghi]perylene with mean concentrations from 3.8+/-0.5 to 41.4+/-0.4 ng/m3) and the unresolved mixture of branched, cyclic and unsaturated hydrocarbons (UCM) were measured in all samples while, n-alkanes from n-C20 to n-C27, were only observed in cutting and packaging areas (from 180.6+/-18.9 to 4297.9+/-794.9 ng/m3). The profile of occupational PAHs in bleaching and treatment of contaminated recycled raw paper was comparable to that observed for anthropogenic activities. The values of molecular diagnostic ratios indicated the contribution of oil residues and emissions from worklifts and other equipment used for pulp and paper handling. Total benzo[a]pyrene-equivalent (BaP) concentrations of particulate PAHs (varied from 323 up to 1104 pg/m3), provided evidence that workers were exposed to high quantities of PAHs as compared with exposures to urban air and other indoor settings, posing long-term threat to their health.