[Effects of different fertilizations on the extractable concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in...

This study was conducted with amaranth as a representative leafy vegetable to elucidate the effects of application of different fertilizers such as inorganic nitrogen and organic fertilizers, which were widely used in agricultural production, on the extractable concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in aged contaminated soil under a greenhouse incubation experiment. The results show that the extractable concentrations of phenanthrene (Phe), fluoranthene (Flt) and benzo (b) fluoranthene (BbF) decrease significantly in organic fertilizer treatments than those in inorganic nitrogen fertilizer treatments (p < 0.05). In the same sampling time and treatment, the ratios of extractable concentrations to primary concentrations in aged contaminated soil of three PAHs increase in an order, BbF < Flt < Phe (p < 0.05), showing that the adsorption of PAHs among soil components varies clearly with their physicochemical properties. The extractable concentrations of three PAHs are significantly higher in unvegetated soil than those in rhizosphere soil (p < 0.05).