Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban stream sediments of Suzhou Industrial Park, an emerging eco-industrial park in China: Occurrence, sources and potential risk

Zijiao Yuan; Binbin He; Xiaoguo Wu; Staci L Massey Simonich; Houqi Liu; Jiahui Fu; Afeng Chen; Hanyang Liu; Qing Wang

doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112095

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban stream sediments of Suzhou Industrial Park, an emerging eco-industrial park in China: Occurrence, sources and potential risk

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2021 May:214:112095. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112095. Epub 2021 Mar 2.

Authors

Zijiao Yuan¹, Binbin He¹, Xiaoguo Wu², Staci L Massey Simonich³, Houqi Liu⁴, Jiahui Fu¹, Afeng Chen⁵, Hanyang Liu⁵, Qing Wang¹

Affiliations

¹ Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Water and Soil Pollution Control and Remediation, School of Ecology and Environment, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241002, PR China.
² Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Water and Soil Pollution Control and Remediation, School of Ecology and Environment, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241002, PR China; Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA. Electronic address: wuxg1983@ahnu.edu.cn.
³ Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
⁴ Suzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Science and Technology of China, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, PR China.
⁵ Institute of Polar Environment & Anhui Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Global Change, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, PR China.

PMID: 33667735
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112095

Abstract

In this study, urban stream sediment samples were collected in the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP), one of the earliest national demonstration eco-industrial parks of China. PAHs were analyzed in these sediments, and concentrations of total PAHs were 180-81,000 ng g^-1 (5700 ± 14,000 ng g^-1). Medium molecular weight (4- ring) PAHs were predominant (42 ± 12%), followed by high molecular weight (5- and 6- ring) PAHs (31 ± 10%). No correlation was found between concentrations of PAHs and land uses of SIP in this study. Diagnostic ratios and a positive matrix factorization (PMF) model indicated that coal/biomass combustion might be the primary PAH source (61%), followed by non-combustion sources (21%) and vehicular emission (18%). According to the spatial analysis, PAHs in the sediments of SIP might be mainly associated with the coal/biomass combustion in the northeast industrial zone. Residential & commercial activities seem not to be the major causes of PAH contamination. Total PAH toxic equivalent concentrations, effect range low/effect range median values, and mean effects range-median quotient all showed that PAHs were present at a low toxicity risk level in most regions of the SIP. However, vigilance is required at some sampling sites with extremely high PAH concentrations or high mean effects range-median quotient.

Keywords: Anthropogenic activities; Eco-industrial park; PAHs; Suzhou industrial park; Urban stream sediment.

MeSH terms

China
Coal / analysis
Environmental Monitoring
Geologic Sediments
Industry
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / analysis*
Risk Assessment
Rivers
Vehicle Emissions / analysis
Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis*

Substances

Coal
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Vehicle Emissions
Water Pollutants, Chemical