Concentrations, distributions, sources, and risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in topsoils around a petrochemical industrial area in Algiers (Algeria).

Concentrations, distributions, sources, and risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in topsoils around a petrochemical industrial area in Algiers (Algeria). Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2020 May 22;: Authors: Benlaribi R, Djebbar S Abstract Fifty-five samples were collected from topsoils around a petrochemical industrial area at the east of Algiers (Algeria) and analyzed for 16EPA priority PAHs in the aim to determine the concentrations, the distributions, and the possible sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The results of the quantification are then devoted to the assessment of the potential risks as the toxicity, the risk for the ecosystem, and the risk for the human health. The sampling sites were classified into four categories: rural, suburban, urban, and industrial-urban. A new extraction method based on the insertion of a preliminary step, using hot water, was proposed to improve the extraction efficiency. Principal component analysis (PCA) and selected diagnostic ratio of PAHs were used to investigate the source apportionment of these PAHs. The potential toxicity, the ecological, and human health risk of PAHs in soil were estimated using the toxic equivalent quotient, the risk quotient, and the total lifetime cancer risk (TLCR) methods, respectively. The proposed new protocol gave improved recovery rates for the sixteen EPA PAHs particularly for low molecular weight PAHs, with satisfactory repeatabi...
Source: Environmental Science and Pollution Research International - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Environ Sci Pollut Res Int Source Type: research