Effects of anthropopressure and soil properties on the accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the upper layer of soils in selected regions of Poland

Fifty soil samples collected from agricultural land in four regions of Poland with different anthropopressure were analysed for their content of 16PAHs by GC/MS. The regions correspond to Polish administrative units (voievodeships): Podlaskie and Lubelskie are situated in the rural East part of the country and more industrialised Slaskie and Dolnoslaskie voievodeships - in the South-West part. Basic physicochemical properties as well as the content of selected potentially harmful metals (Pb and Zn) were included in the soil analysis. Overall accumulation of Sigma 16PAHs in the upper soil layer was within the range 73-1800 mu g kg(-1) with a geometric mean (GM) of 252 mu g kg(-1), while the mean benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) load was 20 mu g kg(-1). This corresponds with data for other European countries. Carcinogenic compounds contributed nearly in 50% to the total PAHs loads. In uncontaminated rural regions the mean Sigma 16PAHs and BaP contents were 113-159 mu g kg(-1) and 11-13 mu g kg(-1), respectively. Regional conditions strongly influenced the accumulation of PAHs >= 4-rings, which were highly dependent (over 95%) on local anthropopressure expressed as dust and 4PAHs emission indexes. Soil acidity was the main soil parameter related to the accumulation of higher molecular weight PAHs in soils. In more contaminated regions a significant link between soil OM and PAH loads was noted. The same regions were. characterised by associations between PAHs and potentially harmful metals implying common sources of pollution. Those relationships were not observed in the uncontaminated part of the country. The lower molecular weight PAHs contributed to a smaller extent (about 20%) to the total PAHs content in soils, and were less affected by anthropogenic factors. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.