Spatial distribution and source apportionment of surface soil ’s polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Yangtze River Delta

In this study, 53 surface soil samples were collected from the Yangtze River Delta. These samples were monitored for 16 priority PAHs. Pollution levels, compositional profiles, and source differences of soil PAHs were analyzed among different regions, urban and rural areas, and functional zones. The total PAH content ( Σ16PAHs) in the surface soil of the Yangtze River Delta was 2326.01 ± 2901.53 ng/g. High-ring PAHs (4–6 rings) accounted for the predominant portion (85.50%) of total PAHs. The average pollution level of soil PAHs in Jiangsu Province (2651.92 ± 3242.87 ng/g) was significantly higher t han that of Zhejiang Province (2001.44 ± 2621.71 ng/g) and Shanghai (1669.13 ± 1758.34 ng/g), and high-ring PAHs constituted a predominant portion in these three regions. There was no significant difference in the PAH content between urban and rural areas. In different functional areas, automobile stations exhibited the highest PAH levels among the functional zones analyzed, with traffic emissions identified as a major source of soil PAH in this area. The primary factors influencing the distribution of soil PAHs in the study area were the duration of urbanization exposure (r = 0.753,p <  0.01) and soil organic carbon content (r = 0.452,p <  0.01). This provides novel evidence for the cumulative build-up of PAHs during urbanization. The positive matrix factorization model was used to analyze the sources of PAHs in the surface soil of...
Source: Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research