Persistent organic pollutants in tropical coastal and offshore environment: part A—atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (original) (raw)
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Seasonal variation of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons along the Kaohsiung coast
Journal of Environmental Management, 2011
Thirty-three air samples were collected by high-volume samplers from May 2007 to June 2008 in the coastal area of southwest Taiwan and analyzed for total suspended particulates (TSP) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Concentrations of TSP and total PAHs ranged from 40.4 to 251 mg m À3 and 1.86e56.4 ng m À3 , respectively. Except for joss paper burning during the religious celebration of Ghost Month, which resulted in the highest concentration of PAHs in the summer of 2007, a seasonal variation in total PAH concentration was observed over this study period, with the highest concentrations in winter and the lowest in summer. Because of the geographical and climatic characteristics of the sampling site, monsoon activities modulate the seasonal variations of PAHs. Diagnostic ratios showed that PAHs in the atmosphere of the Kaohsiung coastal area arose predominantly from vehicle emissions (mainly from diesel exhaust), joss paper burning, and coal/wood combustion. The results of hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that the sampling days could be divided into three groups and that the major source identification of PAHs was the same as the identification by diagnostic ratios. In addition, the results of HCA and PCA suggest that the samples collected with a prevailing northerly or northeasterly wind direction contain both local emissions and those from neighboring sources. On the other hand, the cases related to westerly or northwesterly winds indicated that local emission was the major source for the sampling site.
Journal of Environmental Management, 2013
Air samples of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were collected from May 2008 to April 2009 in the Kaohsiung coastal area of Taiwan to establish a dataset. Sample analysis suggested that PAH composition (dominated by 3-ring PAHs) and seasonal patterns (high concentration in winter and low concentration in summer) are nearly identical to those previously reported , except for a case of road construction during the sample period. The predominant sources of PAHs were identified by isomer ratio, HCA and PCA analyses as vehicle emissions and coal/wood combustion. According to the results of parameters selection via the Group Method of Data Handling (GMDH), the variations in gaseous PAHs and particulate PAHs were related mainly to meteorological conditions and to routine monitoring of air pollutant concentrations, respectively. A comparison of model prediction accuracy between particulate and gaseous PAHs suggests better prediction for particulate PAHs than gaseous PAHs, due to dramatic variation in meteorological conditions which results in higher prediction uncertainty for gaseous PAHs. Model predictions of PAH concentrations showed satisfactory agreement with measured data, except for specific incidents, such as joss paper burning events. The results of this study suggest that the GMDH model may be applied to PAH concentration prediction for the study area and may be applicable for other countries based on routine monitoring of air pollutant concentrations and meteorological conditions.
The concentrations and gas-particle partitioning of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were intensively measured in the Hengchun Peninsula of southern Taiwan. The concentrations of total PAH (Σ 38 PAH), including gas and particle phases, ranged from 0.85 to 4.40 ng m −3 . No significant differences in the PAH levels and patterns were found between the samples taken at day and at night. The gas phase PAH concentrations were constant year-round, but the highest levels of particle-associated PAHs were found during the northeast monsoon season. Long-range transport and rainfall scavenging mechanisms contributed to the elevated levels in aerosols andΣ 38 PAH concentrations. Results from principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that the major sources of PAHs in this study were vehicular emissions. The back trajectories demonstrated that air mass movement driven by the monsoon system was the main influence on atmospheric PAH profiles and concentrations in the rural region of southern Taiwan. Gas-particle partition coefficients (K p ) of PAHs were well-correlated with sub-cooled liquid vapor pressures (P o L ) and demonstrated significant seasonal variation between the northeast (NE) and the southwest (SW) monsoon seasons. This study sheds light on the role of Asian monsoons regarding the atmospheric transport of PAHs.
Ocean Science Journal, 2019
Contamination by persistent organic pollutants including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) constitutes a major concern in relation to aquatic ecosystems. To study the seasonal variability of the vertical distribution of PAHs in Possiet Bay (the Sea of Japan/East Sea), surface and near-bottom water samples were collected in February, May, July and November 2013. In the surface layer, the total concentration of 13 PAHs ranges from 11 to 29.6 ng/L over the year with a peak in February. Near-bottom PAHs concentrations varied from 13 to 29.5 ng/L with a peak in May. Seasonal changes in the suspended particulate matter with sorbed PAHs (PPAHs) distribution were detected. Surface-bottom depletion of PPAHs was observed in winter. For spring and summer, the higher near-bottom PPAHs content in comparison with surface PPAHs is attributed to resuspension of particles with PAHs from the sediment in storm events. In autumn, there were similar PPAHs concentrations in the surface and near-bottom layers as a result of the strong mixing typical for the study area at that time. The PAHs isomer ratio indicates both petrogenic and pyrogenic PAHs sources in winter and spring, whereas in summer and autumn, PAHs are derived only from combustion. The partitioning of PAHs is also influenced by seasonality. These findings are useful for understanding the dynamics of PAHs pollution in a coastal marine area of the Sea of Japan (East Sea).
Concentration and partitioning of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the seawater of Houwan, Taiwan
This study involved determining temporal variation in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in Houwan seawater. Factors causing the variability in PAH concentrations and partitioning of PAHs between the particulate and dissolved phases were investigated. The results showed that the total concentrations of PAHs in the dissolved phase and particulate phase ranged from 0.46 to 3.86 ng/L and 0.04 to 1.8 ng/L, respectively. The Houwan seawater is less contaminated with PAHs than the adjacent seawater. Sediment resuspension was likely the main reason for the high variability observed in PAH concentrations. This study also found a linear relationship between logKoc and logKow of PAHs. The observed high partition coefficients in this study may be explained by the presence of soot-like carbon, a strong adsorbent, in the suspended particulate matters.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020
Concentrations of phase-partitioning 13 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in seawater were investigated in the Tsukumo Bay, Noto Peninsula, Japan, during 2014–2018, to improve the understanding of the environmental behavior of PAHs in the coastal areas of the Japan Sea. Total PAH (particulate plus dissolved) concentrations in surface seawater were in the range 0.24–2.20 ng L−1 (mean 0.89 ng L−1), an order of magnitude lower than the mean values observed in the Japan Sea in 2008 and 2010. Although the PAH contamination levels during 2014–2018 were significantly lower than those in the East China Sea, the levels increased from 2014 to 2017 and were maintained at the higher level during 2017–2018. The main sources of particulate and dissolved PAHs during 2014–2018 were combustion products, of which the former were more influenced by liquid fossil-fuel combustion and the latter by biomass or coal combustion. The increase in particulate PAH concentrations in October–December during...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
To improve the understanding of the emission sources and pathways of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the coastal environments of remote areas, their particulate and dissolved concentrations were analyzed on a monthly basis from 2015 to 2018 in surface waters of Nanao Bay, Japan. The concentration of the targeted 13 species of PAHs on the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) priority pollutant list in dissolved and particle phases were separately analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to a fluorescence detector. Particulate and dissolved PAHs had average concentrations of 0.72 ng∙L−1 and 0.95 ng∙L−1, respectively. While most of the samples were lower than 1 ng∙L−1, abnormally high levels up to 10 ng∙L−1 were observed in the winter of 2017–2018 for particulate PAHs. Based on the isomer ratios of Flu to Flu plus Pyr, it was possible to determine that the pyrogenic loads were greater than the petrogenic loads in all but four out of ...
Chemosphere, 2006
Fine (PM 2.5 ) and Coarse (PM 2.5-10 ) particulates concentrations of ambient air particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured simultaneously from February 2004 to January 2005 at the Taichung Harbor (TH) sampling site near Taiwan of central Taiwan. Particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were collected on quartz filters, the collected sample used soxhlet analytical method extracted with a dichloromethane (DCM)/n-hexane mixture (50/50, v/v) for 24 h, and then the extracts were subjected to gas chromatography-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) analysis. The results indicated that vehicle emissions, coal combustion, incomplete combustion and pyrolysis of fuel and oil burning were the main source of PAHs near Taiwan Strait of central Taiwan. Diagnostic ratio and principal component analysis (PCA) were also used to characterize and identify PAHs emission source in this study.
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 2009
Nine locations in Shantou coastal waters were chosen for the study on contamination and ecotoxicology risks posed by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Sediment samples were collected to investigate PAH distribution behaviour, sources and understand their origin, which is fundamental in predicting their subsequent behaviour. Many approaches and methods were applied to accomplish these objectives and study purpose. The results found revealed the critical importance of improving our understanding of PAH equilibrium relationships. The serious environmental and health concern, imposed by the high concentrations of PAHs in the area, were widely discussed. Furthermore, the location of Shantou within the town and vicinity of Guiyu, which is a booming E-waste processing centre in China, might explain the significance of atmospheric transportation source of PAHs and enhance the occurrence of air-water exchange.
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2012
Samples of intertidal surface sediments (0-2 cm) were collected in 17 stations of the Santander Bay, Cantabric Sea, Northern Spain. The concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 16, were analysed by HPLC and MS detection. Surface sediments show a good linear correlation among the parameters of the experimental organic matter evaluation, where total carbon (TC) and loss on ignition (LOI) are approximately 2.5 and 5 times total organic carbon (TOC). A wide range of TOC from 0.08% to 4.1%, and a broad distribution of the sum of P 16PAHs, from 0.02 to 344.6 lg/g d.w., which can be correlated by an exponential equation to the TOC, has been identified.