Sediment PAH source apportionment in the Liaohe River using the ME2 approach: A comparison to the PMF model

Environmental contaminant source apportionment is essential for pollution management and control. This study analysed surface sediment samples for 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAH sources were identified by two receptor models, which included positive matrix factorization (PMF) and multilinear engine 2 (ME2). Three PAH sources in the Liaohe River sediments were identified by PMF, including traffic, coke oven and coal combustion. The ME2 model apportioned one additional source. The two models yielded excellent correlation coefficients between the measured and predicted PAH concentrations. Traffic emission was the primary PAH source associated with the Liaohe River sediments, with estimated PMF contributions of 58% in May and 63% in September. Coke oven (19%-25%) and coal combustion (13%-18%) were the other two major PAH sources. For ME2, gasoline and diesel were separated: accounted for 14% in May and 16% in September; and 53% in May and 48% in September. This study marks the first application of the ME2 model to study sediment contaminant source apportionment. The methodology can potentially be applied to other aquatic environment contaminants.