Source Analysis and Risk Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Paddy Soils

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are typically persistent organic pollutants with hypertoxicity and widespreading, attracting increasing attention in recent years. Six paddy land sites soils irrigated from different rivers in the Nansi Lake area of Shandong Province, China, were studied to analyze and assess the source and risk of PAHs.Analysis revealed total PAHs (TPAHs) concentrations in topsoil ranging from 57.49 to 2046.47 μg kg^?1, meanwhile, Weishan County (WS) was highly contaminated primarily from coal combustion based on the Nemerow composite index and geochemical indices.Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) suggested that bacterial species were affected by pH, TPAHs, and soil organic matter (SOM), while covariables analysis confirmed that most effects of PAHs on bacterial diversity were attributed to the PAHs effect alone rather than the combined effects of PAHs and soil properties. The average daily human exposure (ADE) in children was approximately 2 times higher than that in adults, and the exposure paths values followed a decreasing order, oral intake > skin contact > inhalation. Furthermore, the WS site and another rice test field (TF) presented potential cancer risks and required further investigation. Therefore, the study has important theoretical significance for the control of PAHs pollution in this field, providing a scientific basis for health assessment.     

Distribution,Levels, and Risk Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Singed Cattle Hide

Human beings are exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from various occupational, environmental, and dietary sources. The study was carried out in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana to assess the levels of PAHs in treated and untreated cattle hide and the associated health risks thereof. Treated cattle hide (wele) is one of the most well-patronized meat products in Ghana. A total of 90, treated (n = 36), untreated (n = 36), and control (n = 18) cattle hide samples were treated and analyzed using a gas chromatography flame ionization detection (GC/FID) technique. The total PAH concentration in the treated cattle hide ranged from 5.9 μg/kg naphthalene to 719.9 μg/kg benzo[b]fluoranthene. The total PAHs in untreated hide ranged from 57.6 μg/kg naphthalene to 19840.9 μg/kg benzo[b]fluoranthene. The amount of PAHs in the control hide, however, ranged from non-detectable for many of the PAHs to 0.5 μg/kg for fluorene. The carcinogenic risk value associated with the consumption of treated hide in children ranged between 1.0 × 10^?3 and 9.4 × 10^?3 whereas that of adults ranged between 1.9 × 10^?4 and 2.1 × 10^?5. This implies that the continuous consumption of heavily burnt cattle hide may not exempt the consumers from all the possible health cases associated with PAHs.     

微生物降解多环芳烃的研究进展

多环芳烃(PAHs)是具有严重危害的环境污染物质。介绍PAHs的降解菌,降解机理和PAHs的生物修复方面的研究进展。土壤中PAHs的生物修复被认为是解决污染的有效方法,目前,菲的生物降解途径已经比较清楚,但对结构更为复杂的多环芳烃研究较少。文章还对消除环境中多环芳烃的相关生物技术提出展望。     

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Pollution in Agricultural Soil in Tianjin,China

Representative soil samples (n = 60) collected from suburban agricultural land in Tianjin were analyzed to determine 16 PAHs in this study. Accelerated solvent extraction, GPC (Gel Permeation Chromatography), and SPE (Solid Phase Extraction) clean-up procedures were employed for PAH preparation prior to analysis with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The concentrations of the total PAHs (T-PAHs) ranged from 228.6 ng/g to 14722.1 ng/g with the mean value of 613.1 ng/g. Bap concentrations in many sites exceeded the suggested standards. Spatial variation of PAHs in soil was illustrated; the pollution status and comparison to other cities were also investigated. Severe PAH soil pollution was observed in some sites near urban areas. Higher PAH concentrations were detected at the downwind side of the urban areas, indicating the influence of human activities. Two indicative ratios (Fl/(Fl+Pyr, Baa/(Baa+Chr)) and principal component analysis were used to identify the possible sources of PAHs. These suggested that coal combustion was still the most important source of PAHs in Tianjin, which coincided well with the previous studies. These data can be further used to assess the health risk associated with soils polluted by PAHs and can help local government find proper ways to reduce PAHs’ pollution in soils.     

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Surface Sediments of Lake Manzala,Egypt

This investigation represents the first extensive study of the spatial distribution, sources, and potential effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments from Lake Manzala, the largest of Egypt's Mediterranean coastal lakes. The concentrations of PAHs (Σ39 components) ranged from 246 to 9910 ng g^?1 dry wt., the highest values corresponding to urban hotspots with high anthropogenic input coming from wastewater discharges and combustion activities and decreasing offshore. The levels of PAHs were significantly lower compared to values reported in several coastal/estuarine areas (e.g., in Spain, Italy, USA, and Egypt) receiving substantial anthropogenic inputs from urban and industrial activities. Source ratios indicated that the PAHs were mainly from petrogenic sources in near-shore urban hotspots, with higher contributions of pyrolytic sources in coastal and offshore areas which are little influenced by human activities. Sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) showed that except at one station heavily impacted by sewage discharge, the total and individual PAH concentrations were below effect range low (ERL) concentrations that are not likely to adversely affect benthic biota.     

Accumulation,Allocation, and Risk Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Soil-Brassica chinensis System

Farmland soil and leafy vegetables accumulate more polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in suburban sites. In this study, 13 sampling areas were selected from vegetable fields in the outskirts of Xi’an, the largest city in northwestern China. The similarity of PAH composition in soil and vegetation was investigated through principal components analysis and redundancy analysis (RDA), rather than discrimination of PAH congeners from various sources. The toxic equivalent quantity of PAHs in soil ranged from 7 to 202 μg/kg d.w., with an average of 41 μg/kg d.w., which exceeded the agricultural/horticultural soil acceptance criteria for New Zealand. However, the cancer risk level posed by combined direct ingestion, dermal contact, inhalation of soil particles, and inhalation of surface soil vapor met the rigorous international criteria (1×10⁻⁶). The concentration of total PAHs was (1052±73) μg/kg d.w. in vegetation (mean±standard error). The cancer risks posed by ingestion of vegetation ranged from 2×10⁻⁵ to 2×10⁻⁴ with an average of 1.66×10⁻⁴, which was higher than international excess lifetime risk limits for carcinogens (1×10⁻⁴). The geochemical indices indicated that the PAHs in soil and vegetables were mainly from vehicle and crude oil combustion. Both the total PAHs in vegetation and bioconcentration factor for total PAHs (the ratio of total PAHs in vegetation to total PAHs in soil) increased with increasing pH as well as decreasing sand in soil. The total variation in distribution of PAHs in vegetation explained by those in soil reached 98% in RDA, which was statistically significant based on Monte Carlo permutation. Common pollution source and notable effects of soil contamination on vegetation would result in highly similar distribution of PAHs in soil and vegetation.     

A Probabilistic Assessment of Household Exposures to MTBE from Drinking Water

The oxygenate methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) has been added to reformulated gasoline in the U.S. to meet national ambient air quality standards. Although MTBE has provided significant health benefits in terms of reduced criteria and toxic air pollutants, detections of MTBE in some groundwater and drinking water sources have raised concerns about potential environmental contamination and human exposures. In this paper, we examine the frequency and concentration of MTBE detections in drinking water sources in California from 1995 to 1999, and provide a preliminary analysis of the distribution of household exposures to MTBE from water-related activities. Using published data on the toxicity and possible cancer hazard posed by MTBE, we estimate the likely cancer and non-cancer risks for the general population in California from past and potential future MTBE exposures. More highly exposed subgroups were also addressed. Our findings indicate that less than 2% of all sampled drinking water sources in California had detectable levels of MTBE in 1999, with average MTBE drinking water concentrations ranging from 0.09 to 4.9?ppb for this year. Both the detection rate for MTBE and average MTBE concentrations have remained relatively stable since 1995, despite increased sampling of drinking water sources in California. The probabilistic exposure analysis suggests that drinking water exposures to MTBE are unlikely to pose a significant health risk for the general population or more highly exposed individuals in California.     

Pollution Characteristics and Risk Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Soils in Winter around Zhongyuan Oilfield,China

The degree of contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil samples in winter was determined. The contents of PAHs in samples were analyzed with HPLC. The PAHs contents of soil samples in winter around three different oily sludges from high to low represented the Third Wenming Plant of the oily sludge (3W), the Third Mazhai plant of the oily sludge (3M), and the Fourth Wener Plant of the oily sludge (4W), respectively. PAHs with 2–4 rings were major pollutants in oily sludge. Based on Nemero index P, the classification evaluation showed that soils around oily sludge were heavily polluted in winter. The health risk assessment and ecological risk assessment in soil in winter around oily sludge in Zhongyuan Oil Field was also analyzed.     

高效液相色谱法测定北京烤鸭中多环芳烃含量的研究

建立了高效液相色谱法同时检测烤鸭中16种多环芳烃的方法。经过索氏提取、皂化、液-液分配、柱层析等步骤将样品中的多环芳烃提取、净化、浓缩,采用带紫外检测器的高效液相色谱法直接检测。该方法测定出的多环芳烃浓度与其色谱峰面积的线性良好(0.9831(?) r(?)0.9997),主要多环芳烃的加标回收率在54.6%-139.8%之间。     

An Ecological Risk Assessment Methodology for Screening Discharge Alternatives of Produced Water

Previous studies on Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) of produced water relied on the use of deterministic hydrodynamic models. The assessment was usually carried out in the North Sea context using a model such as the Chemical Hazard Assessment and Risk Management (CHARM), or in the North American context based on the output of a hydrodynamic model such as the Cornell Mixing Zone Expert System (CORMIX). In both these cases, however, probabilistic analysis has not been employed, particularly, to account for uncertainty associated with hydrodynamic models in the ERA study. In fact, it is the hydrodynamic model that has a direct linkage to the selection of the discharge alternatives. Apart from the monitoring purposes, in this article, it is suggested that criteria for evaluating discharge alternatives of produced water in a marine environment might incorporate an awareness of ecological risks by incorporating engineering and toxicological aspects. An ERA methodology consisting of problem formulation, analysis, and risk characterization is discussed in light of evaluating the discharge alternatives. A probabilistic analysis using Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS)–based Monte Carlo (MC) simulations was employed. A depiction of associated risks for an area comparable to a regulatory mixing zone of typical effluent discharges is presented.     

Practical Issues in the Use of Probabilistic Risk Assessment

Probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) represents an important step in the evolution of risk assessment methodology to assist decision-making at hazardous waste sites. Despite considerable progress in the development of PRA techniques, regulatory acceptance of PRA has been limited, in part because a number of practical issues in its use must yet be resolved. A recent workshop on PRA identified several areas to be addressed, including the need for: (1) better demonstration of the value of PRA in risk management; (2) PRA training and education opportunities; (3) the development of technical criteria for acceptability of a PRA; (4) policy decisions on acceptable risk distributions; (5) ways to deal with risk communication issues; and (6) a variety of technical issues, including ways to include estimates of variability and uncertainty associated with toxicity values. Solutions to many of these issues will require better dialog between risk assessors and risk managers than has existed in the past.     

Biodegradation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) by Trichoderma reesei FS10-C and Effect of Bioaugmentation on an Aged PAH-Contaminated Soil

ABSTRACT?The co-metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and the capacity of the fungus Trichoderma reesei FS10-C to bioremediate an aged polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-contaminated soil were investigated. The fungal isolate removed about 54% of B[a]P (20 mg L^?1) after 12 days of incubation with glucose (10 g L^?1) supplementation as a co-metabolic substrate. Bioaugmented microcosms showed a 25% decrease in total PAH concentrations in soil after 28 days, and the degradation percentages of 3-, 4-, and 5(+6)-ring PAHs were 36%, 35%, and 25%, respectively. In addition, bioaugmented microcosms exhibited higher dehydrogenase (DHA) and fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis (FDAH) activities and increased average well-color development (AWCD), Shannon-Weaver index (H), and Simpson index (D) significantly. Principal component analysis (PCA) also distinguished clear differentiation between treatments, indicating that bioaugmentation restored the microbiological function of the PAH-contaminated soil. The results suggest that bioaugmentation by T. reesei FS10-C might be a promising bioremediation strategy for aged PAH-contaminated soils.     

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Soil and Sediment from Industrial,Residential, and Agricultural Areas in Central South Africa: An Initial Assessment

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of global concern due to their ubiquitous presence, toxicity, and carcinogenicity. No data on PAHs in soils from South Africa have been published, even though it has the largest economy and industrial base in Africa. During this initial assessment, the levels of PAHs were determined in soils and sediments collected from central South Africa, specifically targeting industrial, residential, and agricultural areas. Analysis was performed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The total concentration of PAHs (Σt-PAH) ranged between 44 and 39,000 ng/g, dw and the concentration of carcinogenic PAHs (Σc-PAH) ranged between 19 and 19,000 ng/g, dw. Pyrogenic processes were the most likely sources, with minimal petrogenic contributions. PAH levels were in the same range as levels reported from other countries, and the majority of the sites did not exceed Canadian environmental quality guidelines. Based on assumptions for dermal contact and ingestion of PAH-contaminated soil, we provisionally calculated only a small increase in cancer risk, but additional PAH inhalation could add considerably to this risk. Our data indicates a need for more analysis in industrial and residential areas, and should include air.     

Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in fish from the Red Sea Coast of Yemen

A detailed analytical study using combined normal phase high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) of Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in fish from the Red Sea was undertaken. This investigation involves a preliminary assessment of the sixteen parent compounds issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(EPA). The study revealed measurable levels of Σ PAHs (the sum of three to five or six ring parent compounds) (49.2 ng g⁻¹ dry weight) and total PAHs (all PAH detected) (422.1 ng g⁻¹ dry weight) in edible muscle of fishes collected from the Red Sea. These concentrations are within the range of values reported for other comparable regions of the world. Mean concentrations for individual parent PAH in fish muscles were; naphthalene 19.5, biphenyl 4.6, acenaphthylene 1.0, acenaphthene 1.2, fluorene 5.5, phenanthrene 14.0, anthracene 0.8, fluoranthene 1.5, pyrene 1.8, benz(a)anthracene 0.4, chrysene 1.9, benzo(b)fluoranthene 0.5, benzo(k)fluoranthene 0.5, benzo(e)pyrene 0.9, benzo(a)pyrene 0.5, perylene 0.2, and indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene 0.1 ng g⁻¹ dry weight respectively. The Red Sea fish extracts exhibit the low molecular weight aromatics as well as the discernible alkyl-substituted species of naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene and dibenzothiophene. Thus, it was suggested that the most probable source of PAHs is oil contamination originating from spillages and/or heavy ship traffic. It was concluded that the presence of PAHs in the fish muscles is not responsible for the reported fish kill phenomenon. However, the high concentrations of carcinogenic chrysene encountered in these fishes should be considered seriously as it is hazardous to human health. Based on fish consumption by Yemeni‘s population it was calculated that the daily intake of total carcinogens were 0.15 μg/person/day. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban soils of Ahvaz metropolis; contamination,composition, distribution,potential sources,and cancer risk

Sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in urban soils of Ahvaz metropolis to assess the contamination, distribution, potential sources, and related health risks for local residents. For this purpose, a total of 39 topsoil samples from different parts of the city were collected and analyzed for PAHs using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. PAHs analysis revealed that 4 -rings PAHs are the dominant compounds. Distribution maps revealed that outlet roads of the city and an area in city center, particularly an industrial area at Southwest of the city, West Saheli street, Pasdaran Blvd, Ahvaz-Ramhormoz Police Station, Khorramshahr bus terminal, and Daneshgah Square, are the contamination hotspots. PAHs diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis (PCA) showed both petrogenic and pyrogenic sources for these compounds, although, the results indicated the dominance of pyrogenic (combustion) origin, particularly traffic emission, incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and gasoline emissions. Furthermore, calculation of toxic equivalents and cancer risk showed a high carcinogenic risk especially through dermal contact and ingestion pathways; however, compared with adults, children faced more cancer risk in their daily life through their unconscious ingestion and dermal contact pathway.     

Formation of Carbon-Carbon Bonds in the Photochemical Alkylation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

The reaction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) withalkanes was examined in the presence of ultraviolet (UV) lightunder model prebiotic Earth and interstellar medium (ISM)conditions. We observed the formation of alkylated PAHs from avariety of PAHs and alkanes, which was caused by the absorptionof UV light by the PAH molecule. Photoalkylation occurred inPAHs and alkanes in solution, in thin films in contact withsimulated ocean water, and in matrices simulating ISMconditions. Photoalkylation occurred readily, with significantproduct yields within 5 h of irradiation. Because alkanes andPAHs are presumed to be part of the organic inventory in the ISMand on the early Earth, we propose that this photoalkylation reactionis a plausible pathway for the formation of carbon-carbon bondsin both these environments.     

Risk Assessment and Safety Evaluation Using Probabilistic Fault Tree Analysis

Risk assessment is an essential prelude to the development of accident prevention strategies in any chemical or petrochemical industry. Many techniques and methodologies such as HAZOP, failure mode effect analysis, fault tree analysis, preliminary hazard analysis, quantitative risk assessment and probabilistic safety analysis are available to conduct qualitative, quantitative, and probabilistic risk assessment. However, these methodologies are limited by: extensive data requirements, the length of study, results are not directly interpretable for decision making, simulation is often difficult, and they are applicable only at the operation or late design stage. Khan et al. (2001a) recently proposed a detailed methodology for risk assessment and safety evaluation. This methodology is simple, yet it is effective in safety and design-related decision making, and it has been applied successfully to many case studies. It is named SCAP, where S stands for safety, C and A stand for credible accident respectively, and P stands for probabilistic fault tree analysis. This paper recapitulates the SCAP methodology and demonstrates its application to a petrochemical plant.     

Uncertainty-based dynamic multimedia human health risk assessment for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a land oil exploitation area

With the increasing development of the petrochemical industry and the growing demand for oil, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pollutions in the environment, especially in petroleum exploitation areas, are caused by the discharge of waste from the petroleum extraction process into an environmental system. This study aims to develop a new health risk assessment approach based on interval dynamic multimedia fugacity (IDMF) model and uncertainty analysis that could analyze the human exposure risk level for PAH contamination. The developed IDM health risk assessment (IDMHRA) approach is applied to assess previous, current, and future risks at a case study site in Daqing, Heilongjiang, China, from 1985 to 2020 for model validation. The human health risk assessment results show that 11 PAHs (NAP, ANT, FLA, PYR, BaA, CHR, BbF, BkF, BaP, IPY, and DBA) in the study site require further remediation efforts in terms of their unacceptable non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk. The results of risk source analysis reveal that soil media is the main risk pathway as compared with other exposure pathways. It can be seen that remediation process for soil contamination in the study site is urgently demanded. The assessment results demonstrate that the developed IDMHRA approach provides an effective tool for decision-makers and environmental managers to make remediation decisions in contaminated sites.