scholarly journals Vulnerability Assessment: A Geospatial Bio-accessibility Approach Using Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Concentration of Soils in Lagos, Nigeria.

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oluwatoyin T. Fatunsin ◽  
Oluwasegun T. Adetunde ◽  
Kehinde O. Olayinka

AbstractCancer is on the increase globally. Cancer could be associated with hazards from anthropogenic activities. This study attempted to determine the site-specific potential human risks from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sites of different socioeconomic human activities from soils across Lagos metropolis in Nigeria by including a geographic information system (GIS) approach. A Human Simulation Test method was used to determine bio-accessibility for 16 priority PAHs. This was then spatially modelled using a GIS. The spatial vulnerability index for cancer developed show some variation within the study area from 0.2 – 0.0002 all falling below the normal exposure risk level of 1.0. The vulnerability to cancer based on different anthropogenic activities assessed were within the acceptable risk levels. However, it is important to reduce human exposure to even low concentrations of bio-accessible PAHs due to their tendency to bio-accumulate in plants, humans and other organisms.

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. p1
Author(s):  
JESSIE EKOKA Christelle Solange ◽  
ZE BILO’O Philemon ◽  
KOM REGONNE Raissa ◽  
NGASSOUM Martin Benoit

Having a source attributed to anthropogenic activities such as incomplete combustion or pyrolysis of organic materials, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are toxic organic pollutants that the ubiquity is no more to be proved. The purpose of this work is to identify and quantify the hydrocarbons pollution of the Mboppi River. Eight (8) samples of water were collected in the river during the dry and the rainy season (4samples for each season). Hydrocarbon fraction was extracted by magnetic agitation of the mixture water/hexane followed by clean-up, fractionation and subsequently, analysis using gas chromatography coupled to a Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID). Total concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the samples were ranged between 196.3-1040.19 µg/L in the river. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with more than four rings showed the highest concentrations in the river independently from the seasonal variation while the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with 2 or 3 rings were usually present in low concentrations or sometimes undetectable. From the data, it was also possible to conclude that there is predominance of petroleum sources, and essentially closed to the more industrialized areas. Mboppi River can then be considered as being among the most polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons polluted environment in comparison with some rivers and estuaries.


Author(s):  
Lu Yang ◽  
Hao Zhang ◽  
Xuan Zhang ◽  
Wanli Xing ◽  
Yan Wang ◽  
...  

Particulate matter (PM) is a major factor contributing to air quality deterioration that enters the atmosphere as a consequence of various natural and anthropogenic activities. In PM, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent a class of organic chemicals with at least two aromatic rings that are mainly directly emitted via the incomplete combustion of various organic materials. Numerous toxicological and epidemiological studies have proven adverse links between exposure to particulate matter-bound (PM-bound) PAHs and human health due to their carcinogenicity and mutagenicity. Among human exposure routes, inhalation is the main pathway regarding PM-bound PAHs in the atmosphere. Moreover, the concentrations of PM-bound PAHs differ among people, microenvironments and areas. Hence, understanding the behaviour of PM-bound PAHs in the atmosphere is crucial. However, because current techniques hardly monitor PAHs in real-time, timely feedback on PAHs including the characteristics of their concentration and composition, is not obtained via real-time analysis methods. Therefore, in this review, we summarize personal exposure, and indoor and outdoor PM-bound PAH concentrations for different participants, spaces, and cities worldwide in recent years. The main aims are to clarify the characteristics of PM-bound PAHs under different exposure conditions, in addition to the health effects and assessment methods of PAHs.


2003 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 53-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Trably ◽  
D. Patureau ◽  
J.P. Delgenes

Anaerobically stabilized sewage sludge has potential to partially substitute synthetic fertilizers. The main risk with the recycling of urban sludge on agricultural soils is the accumulation of unwanted products, such as trace metals and organic micropollutants. In this context, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are particularly monitored because of their toxic properties at low concentrations and their high resistance to biological degradation. The aim of the present study was to optimize PAHs removal during anaerobic digestion of contaminated sewage sludge. Thirteen PAHs were monitored in laboratory-scale anaerobic bioreactors under mesophilic (35°C) and thermophilic (55°C) methanogenic conditions. Abiotic losses were statistically significant for the lightest PAHs, such as fluorene, phenanthrene and anthracene. It was shown that PAH removal was due to a specific biological activity. Biological PAHs removal was significantly enhanced by an increase of the temperature from 35°C to 55°C, especially for the heaviest PAHs. Bioaugmentation experiment was also performed by addition of a PAH-adapted bacterial consortium to a non-acclimated reactor. Significant enhancement of PAHs removal was observed. It was finally shown that PAH removal efficiencies and methanogenic performances were closely linked. The rate of biogas production may be used as an indicator of bacterial activity on PAH removal.


2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 355-363
Author(s):  
Predrag Ilić ◽  
Svetlana Ilić ◽  
Dragana Nešković Markić ◽  
Ljiljana Stojanović Bjelić ◽  
Zia Ur Rahman Farooqi ◽  
...  

Abstract Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are formed from anthropogenic activities, i.e. industrial emissions, incomplete combustion of petroleum, coal and other fossil fuels and other industrial and domestic activities. Research areas of this study are four representative locations in the industrial complex, in the city of Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The main objective of the paper is to determine the ecological risk and to assess probable sources of PAHs contamination in soil and groundwater. The results of this study reflect the effects of coal combustion (pyrogenic origin), petrogenic and biomass origin and may provide basic data for the remediation of PAHs in the location. The ecological risk in soil (at depths of 30, 100, 200, 300 and 400 cm) and groundwater is determined. The mean values of ecological risk in soil and groundwater decreased with soil depth. Values of RQ(NCs) for groundwater were found at high ecological risk, for Ant, Chr, DahA, Acy, Pyr, BaA, Phe, Flo, Nap, Ace and Fluo, with values 28.57, 20.59, 300.00, 242.86, 185.71, 1700.0, 76.67, 53.33, 15.83, 100.00 and 57.14, respectively. ∑16PAH indicated high ecological risk for most PAHs, which decreased with soil depth. The value of RQ(NCs) for ΣPAHs in groundwater indicates high ecological risk (ΣPAHs ≥ 800 and RQ(MPCs) ≥ 1). This is the first study on the ecological risk of PAHs in soil and groundwater in industrial soils in Banja Luka and provides baseline information for further studies and additional investigations of this industrial complex.


2012 ◽  
Vol 237-238 ◽  
pp. 371-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuezhu Zhu ◽  
Huoliang Kong ◽  
Yanzheng Gao ◽  
Miaofang Wu ◽  
Fanxiang Kong

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