Article
Environmental Sciences
Tian Xie, Fei Lu, Meie Wang, Yuan Zhang, Changfeng Liu, Weiping Chen
Summary: This study introduced a novel method for assessing soil pollution in Macau, China, using anthropogenic background values and entropy weight method. It found that a significant portion of the sites had no specific point source pollution, and identified mercury and high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as the main contaminants in the soil. Through positive matrix factorization, three main anthropogenic sources of contaminants and their contributions were successfully identified and quantified in the study area.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hui Wang, Yuting Yang, Tony R. Walker, Yinggang Wang, Hao Wu, Xiaoxu Wang, Qing Luo
Summary: This study investigates the concentrations, composition profiles, sources, and health risks of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban soils from 23 cities across China. The results show that the overall PAH contamination in urban soils in China is moderate compared to global cities. The Northeast region has the highest PAH concentrations, followed by North, West, East, and South China. The main sources of PAHs in urban soils are fossil fuel combustion, with a smaller contribution from petrogenic sources. Although there are potential cancer risks from PAHs, the health risks were found to be acceptable.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Zeyu Xu, Chunhui Wang, Huanxuan Li, Shaodan Xu, Jia Du, Yujie Chen, Chao Ma, Junhong Tang
Summary: This study compared the concentration, distribution, source identification, and risk assessment of PAHs in soils from surrounding areas of an abandoned industrial district and an ecological village in Zhejiang Province, China. The results showed that industrial areas had higher levels of PAHs originating from fossil fuel burning and vehicle emissions, while rural areas had lower levels mainly from biomass burning and vehicle emission. Adults might face higher potential health risk than children, and the overall ecological risk of soil PAH pollution was low in rural areas.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mehmet Ferhat Sari, Fatma Esen
Summary: This study measured the concentration of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the air, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), in urban and semi-urban areas. The results showed that combustion sources were the most important contributors to PAHs in both areas, with higher temperatures in the urban area. PCBs were dominated by tri-, tetra-, and penta-chlorinated compounds in both areas. Lindane was the predominant OCP in both sampling areas.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bin Han, Wei Gao, Qian Li, Ang Liu, Jinwen Gong, Yunchao Zheng, Nengfei Wang, Li Zheng
Summary: This paper quantitatively analyzed the characteristics of persistent toxic substances (PTSs) in soil of Ny-angstrom lesund in the Arctic and analyzed the sources and toxicity risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the soil. The study found no obvious spatial distribution of PAHs in the area and identified LMW-PAHs as the main PAHs, mainly tricyclic PAHs. The results showed that the PAHs in soil mainly came from petroleum source and petroleum combustion source, as well as incomplete combustion of coal and wood, with some contribution from atmospheric transport. Ecological risk assessment results showed that the PAHs in soil did not pose a toxicity risk, and the possibility of ecological risk was very low in Ny-angstrom lesund in the Arctic.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qifan Zhang, Jing Meng, Guijin Su, Zhelun Liu, Bin Shi, Tieyu Wang
Summary: This study investigated the concentrations and sources of 16 priority PAHs in soil at a coking plant in Tangshan. It was found that PAH concentrations were generally higher in surface soil and mainly sourced from coal combustion, the coke oven, and traffic. The areas with higher PAH concentrations were the ammonium sulfate, boiler room, coal blending, and coke oven areas, posing potential toxic and carcinogenic risks.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xue-Tong Wang, Rui Fu, Ying Zhou, Cheng-Lin Wang, Guo-Fa Ren, Xiao-Li Wang, Hui Li
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the concentrations, sources, and health risks of PAHs in urban road dust in Shanghai, China. Results showed that 4-5 ring PAHs were predominant in road dust, with main sources being motor vehicular emissions, natural gas, and coal combustion. The carcinogenic potency was mainly contributed by four DBP isomers, and the ILCR assessment suggested a low carcinogenic risk level for both children and adults in Shanghai exposed to dust-bound PAHs.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chukwujindu M. A. Iwegbue, Anthony A. Ogbuta, Godswill O. Tesi, Chinedu J. Ossai, Chijioke Olisah, Godwin E. Nwajei, Bice S. Martincigh
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the concentration of PAHs in dust and soils around informal trade sites in Nigeria and determine their risk level, sources, and significance. It was found that automobile mechanic workshops contribute the most PAHs to the environment, with pollution resulting from burning of biomass, plastic materials, and oils, as well as vehicle emissions.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Reyhane Madadi, Sedigheh Mohamadi, Mohammad Rastegari, Abdolreza Karbassi, Md Refat Jahan Rakib, Mayeen Uddin Khandaker, Mohammad Rashed Iqbal Faruque, Abubakr M. Idris
Summary: Rapid industrialization and urbanization have led to environmental pollution and unsustainable development of cities. The study investigated the concentrations of potentially toxic metal(loid)s in windowsill dust samples from different functional areas of Qom, Iran, and found that the industrial area had the highest pollution level, followed by the commercial, residential, and green space areas. The study also identified the sources of these pollutants, with some metals coming from traffic and industrial activities, and manganese mainly coming from mining activities. It highlights the potential non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks associated with exposure to these pollutants.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Farh Al-Nasir, Tahani J. Hijazin, Mutaz M. Al-Alawi, Anwar Jiries, Osama Y. Al-Madanat, Amal Mayyas, Saddam A. Al-Dalain, Rasha Al-Dmour, Abdalrahim Alahmad, Mufeed Batarseh
Summary: The accumulation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons in plants is a serious threat to human health due to their persistence in the environment and carcinogenic effects. This study investigated the concentrations of sixteen priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in edible vegetables, irrigation water, and agriculture soil in the Jordan Valley. The results showed that high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with four or more benzene rings were predominant in the samples. The contamination sources were identified as pyrogenic origin, traffic emissions, and biomass combustion. The bioconcentration factor was highest in tomatoes and lowest in zucchini. The study also revealed a potential cancer risk associated with PAHs. Sustainable agricultural practices and avoiding biomass combustion are crucial to minimize the health risk from dietary exposure to PAHs.
Article
Agronomy
Brunno S. S. Cerozi, Caitlin G. G. Arlotta, Matthew L. L. Richardson
Summary: Integrating urban agriculture with aquaculture can reduce water usage and costs, improve soil fertility, and increase crop production. However, there is a lack of research on the feasibility and production advantages of using aquaculture wastewater to irrigate specialty crops in an urban environment.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuan Zeng, Hui-Min Ma, Qian-Yu Zhang, Lin Tao, Tao Wang, Cong Wan, She-Jun Chen, Bi-Xian Mai
Summary: This study investigated the spatial-temporal variations of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and their toxicity. The results found that high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (MW302 PAHs) played a significant role in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and industrial sources were identified as important contributors to PM2.5 toxicity in the studied city.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Penghao Su, Lihong Zhu, Liming Peng, Gregg T. Tomy, Fang Yin, Lisu Chen, Dan Sun, Yongsheng Ding, Yifan Li, Daolun Feng
Summary: This study aims to fill the gap in our understanding of the environmental effects of parent-, nitrated-, and oxygenated PAHs (p, n, o-PAHs) from ship stacks. Seasonal measurements of organic films on ferries along the Huangpu River, one of the busiest inland rivers, were conducted, and compartmental concentrations were determined using a fugacity model. The results showed significant levels of p, n, o-PAHs in the ferry films, indicating ship-stack exhausts as the primary contributor to these contaminants.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Jianjun Li, Xiaoqing Wang, Wenting Dai, Weining Qi, Haijiao Liu, Minxia Shen, Yali Liu, Xiao Guo, Yifan Zhang, Lu Li, Yue Cao, Lijuan Li, Yukun Chen, Qiao Feng
Summary: This study examined the molecular compositions and 813C values of PAHs in wintertime PM2.5 in a highly polluted urban region in Norwest China. It found a high potential cancer risk of PAHs in the urban region, with coal and/or biomass burning as the major emission sources. The 813C values were indicative of atmospheric oxidation processes.
ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Patrycja Siudek
Summary: In this study, PM10-bound PAH measurements were analyzed using the PMF approach and diagnostic ratios to investigate their levels, seasonal variability, impact of primary anthropogenic sources, and human health risk. The results showed significant variations in PM10-bound PAH concentrations and were influenced by local/remote sources and meteorological conditions. The PMF analysis identified five main anthropogenic sources of PAHs. Ambient temperature and NOx were found to have a significant impact on the transformation of PM10-bound PAHs.