PAHs in soils and estimated air-soil exchange in the Pearl River Delta, South China

In this study, 74 soil samples collected from the Pearl River Delta were analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The PAH mixture in the soils is mainly of low molecular weight compounds, with naphthalene (21.4%) and phenanthrene (21.8%) being dominant. Soil PAH levels from the Pearl River Delta are relatively low (28-711 ng/g, averaged 192 ng/g) compared to those from urban soils in temperate regions. The mean concentration of ΣPAHs generally decrease with increasing distance from the city center, with ΣPAHs of paddy soils>crop soil>natural soil. PAHs in the air were measured during a year-round sampling campaign using semipermeable membrane devices, and the transfer of chemicals between the soil and air compartments were estimated. Soil-air fugacity quotient calculations showed a highly uncertain equilibrium position of PAHs, with net volatilization of naphthalene and fluorene, whereas net deposition of phenanthrene, fluoranthene, and pyrene, indicating a capacity for the air to supply the soil with more substances.