Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in suspended particulate matter and sediments from the Pearl River Estuary and adjacent coastal areas, China

The spatial distribution, composition, and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments and suspended particulate matter (SPM) from the Pearl River Estuary and adjacent coastal areas were examined. Total PAH concentrations varied from 189 to 637 ng/g in sediments and 422 to 1850 n...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental pollution (1987) 2006, Vol.139 (1), p.9-20
Main Authors: Luo, Xiao-Jun, Chen, She-Jun, Mai, Bi-Xian, Yang, Qing-Shu, Sheng, Guo-Ying, Fu, Jia-Mo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Biomass
Brackish
Carbon - analysis
China
Coal
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics
Exact sciences and technology
Geologic Sediments - chemistry
Industrial Waste
Marine
Molecular Weight
Natural water pollution
Oceans and Seas
PAHs
Pearl River Estuary
Perylene - analysis
Petroleum
Pollution
Pollution sources. Measurement results
Pollution, environment geology
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - analysis
Principal Component Analysis - methods
Rivers - chemistry
Seawaters, estuaries
Sediment
Soil and sediments pollution
Suspended particulate matter
Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis
Water Pollution, Chemical
Water treatment and pollution
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Summary:The spatial distribution, composition, and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments and suspended particulate matter (SPM) from the Pearl River Estuary and adjacent coastal areas were examined. Total PAH concentrations varied from 189 to 637 ng/g in sediments and 422 to 1850 ng/g in SPM. PAHs were dominated by 5,6-ring compounds in sediments and by 2,3-ring compounds in SPM samples. Assessment of PAH sources suggested that biomass and coal combustion is the major PAH source to the outer part of the estuary sediments and that petroleum combustion is the major PAH source to the inner part of estuary sediments. As for SPM samples, PAH isomer pair ratios indicated multiple (petroleum, petroleum combustion, and biomass and coal combustion) PAH sources, and significant temporal variations could exist for the sources of water column PAHs in the study area. The distribution of perylene in SPM samples indicated that the river was the dominant source of perylene in SPM and that perylene could be taken as an index to assess the contribution of river inflow to the total PAHs in SPM samples. The high concentration of perylene in the sediment was indicative of an in situ biogenic origin. PAH were determined in suspended particulate matter and sediments from Pearl River Estuary.
ISSN:0269-7491
1873-6424
DOI:10.1016/j.envpol.2005.05.001