scholarly journals Dynamics and Mass Balance of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in and around the Seto Inland Sea, Japan

Author(s):  
Hiroaki Tsuji ◽  
Yuta Akiyoshi ◽  
Daichi Asakawa ◽  
Shinya Nakashita ◽  
Yoko Iwamoto ◽  
...  

Abstract Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed to elucidate the distribution, ecological risk, pathways, and fluxes of these pollutants in and around the Seto Inland Sea, Japan. High molecular weight PAHs (5–6 rings) were primarily found in regions close to the bay estuaries, and their proportions decreased at distances further from the estuaries (offshore areas), where low molecular weight PAHs (2–4 rings) were more ubiquitous. Ecological risk assessments revealed that the PAHs found in the sediments should have no adverse effects on benthic communities, with the exception of fluorene, which was detected in high levels in the sediment from Beppu Bay. A mass balance for PAHs in the Seto Inland Sea, calculated based on data collected in the field and published literature findings, showed the PAH flux into the Seto Inland Sea from atmospheric deposition were ca. 5 times higher than that from riverine inflows. Comparison of the amount of the PAH flux between the Seto Inland Sea and other seas suggested that the Seto Inland Sea is less polluted than the Gulf of Lion and the Bohai Sea, and more polluted than the Yellow Sea.

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 488
Author(s):  
Hiroaki Tsuji ◽  
Waqar Azeem Jadoon ◽  
Yoko Nunome ◽  
Hideo Yamazaki ◽  
Satoshi Asaoka ◽  
...  

Environmental contextPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are carcinogenic environmental contaminants that tend to migrate into the sediments in oceans and seas. Their vertical distribution in sediments from the Seto Inland Sea matched their emission over time, which in turn reflected changes in energy sources and industrial activities in Japan. This study shows that human activities on land directly and significantly influence the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments. AbstractSeventeen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were identified in sediment cores collected at several locations in the Seto Inland Sea in 2015 and 2016 to understand their spatial distribution and potential emission sources. PAHs were analysed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The age of the sediment cores was analysed using radioisotopic dating techniques to reconstruct historical PAH emissions. The total concentrations of 17 PAHs in the sediment cores of Osaka Bay in 2015 were in the range of 108–2810ng g−1 dry weight (dw) with a mean concentration of 1050ng g−1 dw. The total concentrations of 17 PAHs in sediment cores from the Seto Inland Sea in 2016 were in the range of 52.6–941ng g−1 dw with a mean concentration of 313ng g−1 dw. The spatial distribution of PAHs showed the highest concentration in Osaka Bay and the lowest in Kii Channel in 2016. The horizontal PAH distribution showed a decreasing trend in concentrations from the estuary offshore to Osaka Bay and Aki-Nada. The vertical PAH distribution revealed that levels were higher before the 1980s–1990s, when oil consumption and industrial activities in the Osaka region reached a maximum in the 20th century. The diagnostic ratios of PAHs and a principal component analysis revealed three main emission sources of PAHs, industry, biomass burning and traffic activities.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiulu Lang ◽  
Xinghua He ◽  
Yanhua Wang ◽  
Xi Chen ◽  
Mingli Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract To study the spatial occurrence, sources, and ecological risks of 16 PAHs, surface sediments had been collected from seven major areas of Taihu Lake, China in April 2021. Results showed that the concentrations of ∑16PAHs varied between 1381.48~4682.16 ng g-1, and the contents of BghiP in each sample were the highest. The PAHs concentrations in the sediments near the lakeshore were much higher than those in the central area of the lake. The sedimentary ∑16PAHs were mainly composed of molecular-weight monomers and 4-ring PAHs showed superiority (35.69%~45.02%). According to the ratio of PAH monomer, the sedimentary PAHs in Taihu Lake were dominantly derived from the combustion. Through the biological toxicity assessment and the BaP equivalent (BaPE), great biological risks of PAHs monomers i.e. DahA and IcdP were found. Both concentrations of ∑16PAHs and dominant 4~6-ring monomers accompanied by carcinogenic risks in many areas of Taihu Lake increased. It is necessary to strengthen monitoring and take measures to control the input of organic pollutants.


2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis Chizoruo Ibe ◽  
Chidi Edbert Duru ◽  
Benaiah Obinna Isiuku ◽  
Jacienta Ngozi Akalazu

Abstract Background Ecological risk assessment of the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils of the abandoned sections of Orji Mechanic Village, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. The main objective of the study was to determine the levels of soil contamination from polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAHs) due to anthropogenic events in the mechanic village before reclamation. Results Analysis of soil samples revealed mean PAH levels ranging from 1.22E−02 ± 0.00 to 5.60E−02 ± 0.01 mg/kg, with higher PAH concentrations observed at 0–10 cm compared to other depths. The sum of PAHs (∑PAHs) ranged from 1.58E−01 to 6.71E−01 mg/kg, as the sum of low molecular weight PAHs (∑LPAHs) varied from 7.16E−03 to 1–1.60E−01 mg/kg, while the sum of high molecular weight PAHs (∑HPAHs) ranged from 1.81E−02 to 5.42E−01 mg/kg. The sum of carcinogenic PAHs (∑Carcino-PAHs) varied from 5.39E−01 to 9.74E−02 mg/kg, indicating elevated levels of carcinogens in the sampled soils. Diagnostic ratio, principal component, and correlation analysis of the results revealed that pyrogenic sources were primarily responsible for the observed PAHs owing to the activities of automobile mechanics in the Orji Mechanic Village. Benzo(a)pyrene equivalent (BePeq) of the PAHs indicated high carcinogenic potency for sample A. The total cancer risk was above 1 × 10–6, indicating a greater risk of cancer due to contact with the contaminated soil samples; hence, the result of this study is a serious ecological concern. Conclusion There may be accumulation of these contaminants in the investigated area, which will eventually contaminate the groundwater as well as surface water resources. Remedial measures to prevent possible health problems due to the PAHs which results from the activities of automobile mechanics are therefore recommended.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lingling Wang ◽  
Xiaoming Ren ◽  
Xiaoping Wang ◽  
Perran Ye ◽  
Fei Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pollution in Taihu Lake Basin has caused widespread concern. However, the spatial temporal distribution of PAHs in the upstream rivers of Taihu Lake Basin remains largely unknown. Thus, this study aims to investigate the level, spatial distribution, sources and environment risk caused by PAHs in upstream rivers of Taihu Lake Basin. The concentrations of total 16 PAHs (∑16PAHs) ranged from 188.64 to 1060.39 ng/g, with an average of 472.62 ng/g. Compared with low-molecular-weight (LMW) PAHs, high-molecular-weight (HMW) PAHs were more resistant to degradation and easier to accumulate in the sediment. The results of source analysis demonstrated that the PAH pollution was mainly sourced from mixture of fuel combustion and direct petroleum spillage. The ecological risk assessment showed that moderate ecological risk caused by the PAH contaminants might occur in most sample sites. The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCRs) ranged from 2.07 ×10-4 - 2.66 × 10-3 for children and 9.66 ×10-5 - 1.24 × 10-3 for adult, indicating moderate cancer risk of PAH-contaminated sediments.


Author(s):  
Sultan Hassan Alamri ◽  
Nadeem Ali ◽  
Hussain Mohammed Salem Ali Albar ◽  
Muhammad Imtiaz Rashid ◽  
Nisreen Rajeh ◽  
...  

To control the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Saudi Arabia’s government imposed a strict lockdown during March–July 2020. As a result, the public was confined to indoors, and most of their daily activities were happening in their indoor places, which might have resulted in lower indoor environment quality. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed in household dust (n = 40) collected from different residential districts of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, during the lockdown period. PAHs’ levels were two folds higher than the previously reported PAHs in indoor dust from this region. We detected low molecular weight (LMW) with two to four aromatic ring PAHs in all the samples with a significant contribution from Phenanthrene (Phe), present at an average concentration of 1590 ng/g of dust. Although high molecular weight (HMW) (5–6 aromatic ring) PAHs were detected at lower concentrations than LMW PAHs, however, they contributed >90% in the carcinogenic index of PAHs. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of specific PAHs was above the reference dose (RfD) for young children in high-end exposure and the calculated Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) was >1.00 × 10−4 for both Saudi adults and young children. The study highlighted that indoor pollution has increased significantly during lockdown due to the increased indoor activities and inversely affect human health. This study also warrants to conduct more studies involving different chemicals to understand the indoor environment quality during strict lockdown conditions.


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