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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Chinese forest soils: profile composition, spatial variations and source
Jabir Hussain Syed1, Mehreen Iqbal2, Guangcai Zhong1
1State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China.
Scientific Reports
|June 5, 2017
Summary
Forest soils act as reservoirs for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), with higher concentrations found in the O-horizon. Biomass burning and coal combustion are identified as primary sources of these PAHs in Chinese forest ecosystems.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Soil Science
- Ecotoxicology
Background:
- Forest ecosystems are known to accumulate anthropogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
- PAHs pose environmental risks and understanding their fate in forest soils is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the occurrence, spatial distribution, and sources of PAHs in Chinese background forest soils.
- To analyze PAH levels in different soil horizons (O- and A-horizons) and along altitudinal gradients.
Main Methods:
- Soil samples were collected from 30 mountains across China.
- Analysis of total PAHs (∑15PAHs) and characterization of low (LMW) and high (HMW) molecular weight PAHs.
- Source apportionment using Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA).
Main Results:
- Significantly higher ∑15PAHs levels were found in the O-horizon compared to the A-horizon.
- Lighter PAHs increased with altitude, while heavier PAHs showed no significant variation.
- Soil organic carbon and black carbon content were weakly correlated with LMW-PAHs but not HMW-PAHs.
Conclusions:
- PAHs in Chinese forest soils primarily originate from local biomass burning and/or coal combustion.
- Forest soils serve as significant sinks for PAHs in the studied region.
- Understanding PAH dynamics in forest soils is vital for regional environmental management.
