scholarly journals Impact of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) from an Asphalt Mix Plant in a Suburban Residential Area

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (13) ◽  
pp. 4632
Author(s):  
Myoungki Song ◽  
Kwonho Lee ◽  
Sea-Ho Oh ◽  
Min-Suk Bae

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), an important class of hazardous airborne pollutants, are mutagenic and carcinogenic substances known to be released during the paving of asphalt. In this study, PAHs emitted from an asphalt mix plant were analyzed to investigate the effects on a suburban residential area. Black carbon, organic carbon, elemental carbon, and PAHs in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) were analyzed in a village near the asphalt mix plant. The results of wind direction analysis revealed that the village was meteorologically affected by emissions from the asphalt mix plant. PAHs in PM2.5 ranged from 0.51 to 60.73 ng/m3, with an average of 11.54 ng/m3. Seasonal PAHs were highest in winter, followed in order by spring, autumn, and summer. The diagnostic ratios between PAHs indicate that the source of PAHs could be incomplete combustion of petrogenic origin. The maximum black carbon concentration in the intensive periods reaches up to 14.17 μg/m3 during mix plant operation periods. Seasonal ∑BaPTEF values based on Toxic Equivalence Factor were: winter (2.284 ng/m3), spring (0.575 ng/m3), autumn (0.550 ng/m3), and summer (0.176 ng/m3). The values are about 6.5 times higher than the concentration in another background area and more than three times higher than those in the capital city, Seoul, in the Republic of Korea. In conclusion, primary emissions from the point source can be considered the major contributor to pollution in the residential area.

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

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) samples were collected in the summer and winter of 2015 and 2017 in Xinxiang, China. Nine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and three nitro-PAHs (NPAHs) in PM2.5 were detected via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The PAHs concentration in summer and winter decreased from 6.37 ± 1.30 ng/m3 and 96.9 ± 69.9 ng/m3 to 4.89 ± 2.67 ng/m3 and 49.8 ± 43.4 ng/m3 from 2015 to 2017. NPAHs decreased in winter (from 1707 ± 708 pg/m3 to 1192 ± 1113 pg/m3), but increased in summer from 2015 (336 ± 77.2 pg/m3) to 2017 (456 ± 312 pg/m3). Diagnostic ratios of PAHs indicated that petroleum combustion was the main emission source in summer, and pollutants originating from the combustion of petroleum, coal and biomass dominated in winter. The 2-nitrofluoranthene (2-NFR)/2-nitropyrene (2-NP) ratio in this study demonstrated that the OH radical pathway was the main pathway for the formation of 2-NP and 2-NFR. The mean total benzo[a]pyrene-equivalent concentrations (BaPeq) and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) values decreased from 2013 to 2017. The high value of total BaPeq in the winter of 2017 in Xinxiang revealed that a high-risk of cancer remained for residents. The results of this study demonstrate that the decreases in PAHs and NPAHS concentrations from 2015 to 2017. Combined with reducing gaseous pollutants concentration, the reduction in this study might be attributable to emissions reductions by implementing the air pollution control regulations in Xinxiang city in 2016.


Toxics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 76
Author(s):  
Rashid Mohammed ◽  
Zi-Feng Zhang ◽  
Chao Jiang ◽  
Ying-Hua Hu ◽  
Li-Yan Liu ◽  
...  

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 33 methylated PAHs (Me-PAHs), and 14 nitrated PAHs (NPAHs) were measured in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to study the removal efficiency of these compounds through the WWTPs, as well as their source appointment and potential risk in the effluent. The concentrations of ∑PAHs, ∑Me-PAHs, and ∑NPAHs were 2.01–8.91, 23.0–102, and 6.21–171 µg/L in the influent, and 0.17–1.37, 0.06–0.41 and 0.01–2.41 µg/L in the effluent, respectively. Simple Treat 4.0 and meta-regression methods were applied to calculate the removal efficiencies (REs) for the 63 PAHs and their derivatives in 10 WWTPs and the results were compared with the monitoring data. Overall, the ranges of REs were 55.3–95.4% predicated by the Simple Treat and 47.5–97.7% by the meta-regression. The results by diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis PCA showed that “mixed source” biomass, coal composition, and petroleum could be recognized to either petrogenic or pyrogenic sources. The risk assessment of the effluent was also evaluated, indicating that seven carcinogenic PAHs, Benzo[a]pyrene, Dibenz[a,h]anthracene, and Benzo(a)anthracene were major contributors to the toxics equivalency concentrations (TEQs) in the effluent of WWTPs, to which attention should be paid.


Atmosphere ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suwubinuer Rekefu ◽  
Dilinuer Talifu ◽  
Bo Gao ◽  
Yusan Turap ◽  
Mailikezhati Maihemuti ◽  
...  

PM2.5 and PM2.5–10 samples were simultaneously collected in Urumqi from January to December 2011, and 14 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined. The mean concentrations of total PAHs in PM2.5 and PM2.5–10 were 20.90~844.22 ng m−3 and 19.65~176.5 ng m−3 respectively, with the highest in winter and the lowest in summer. Above 80% of PAHs were enriched in PM2.5, which showed remarkable seasonal variations compared to coarse particles. High molecular weight (HMW) PAHs were predominant in PM2.5 (46.61~85.13%), whereas the proportions of lower molecular weight (LMW) and HMW PAHs in PM2.5–10 showed a decreasing and an increasing trend, respectively, from spring to winter. The estimated concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene equivalent carcinogenic potency (BaPeq) in PM2.5 (10.49~84.52 ng m−3) were higher than that of in PM2.5–10 (1.15~13.33 ng m−3) except in summer. The estimated value of inhalation cancer risk in PM2.5 and PM2.5–10 were 1.63 × 10−4~7.35 × 10−3 and 9.94 × 10−5~1.16 × 10−3, respectively, far exceeding the health-based guideline level of 10−4. Diagnostic ratios and positive matrix factorization results demonstrated that PAHs in PM2.5 and PM2.5–10 were from similar sources, such as coal combustion, biomass burning, coking, and petroleum combustion, respectively. Coal combustion was the most important source for PAHs both in PM2.5 and PM2.5–10, accounting for 54.20% and 50.29%, respectively.


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