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Seasonal variations of concentrations, profiles and possible sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments from Taihu Lake, China

  • SEDIMENTS, SEC 1 · SEDIMENT QUALITY AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT · RESEARCH ARTICLE
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Abstract

Purpose

Obtaining a better understanding of the concentrations and origins of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the sediments Taihu Lake, China, is of paramount importance for the environmental protection and remediation of this lake. To investigate temporal and spatial variations in PAH concentrations, composition and possible source categories, 29 sediment samples were collected from Taihu Lake during both the flooding and dry seasons of the lake.

Materials and methods

Fifteen US Environmental Protection Agency priority PAHs were detected in 58 surface sediments (29 for each season) by gas chromatograph/mass selective detection, following extraction by accelerated solvent extraction.

Results and discussion

The concentrations of the total and individual PAHs in the flooding season were higher than those in the dry season, suggesting that high levels of fishing activity may be an important contributor to PAH pollution in the flooding season. The fractions of high molecular weight PAHs in the flooding season ranged from 63 % to 71 % and were higher than those in the dry season (which ranged from 52 % to 65 %). These results indicate that vehicle exhaust may be a more important pollutant source in the flooding season than in the dry season. Diagnostic ratios, principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis were used to study possible source categories in the different seasons. Consistent results were obtained for all techniques. Seasonal and spatial variations were also investigated by the coefficient of divergence method. The results of previous studies support the conclusion of source identification.

Conclusions

Vehicle emissions were the dominant contributor to PAHs in the flooding season, while PAHs in the dry season sediments may have come from multiple sources. The findings of this study may provide a theoretical basis for seasonal PAH control strategies for Taihu Lake.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by China's national basic research program: "Water environmental quality evolution and water quality criteria in lakes" (2008CB418201) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, and Laboratory of Riverine Ecological Conservation and Technology, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, People’s Republic of China

    Yuan Zhang, Chang-Sheng Guo & Jian Xu

  2. State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Urban Ambient Air Particulate Matter Pollution Prevention and Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, People’s Republic of China

    Guo-Liang Shi, Ying-Ze Tian, Yin-Chang Feng & Yu-Qiu Wang

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  1. Yuan Zhang
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  2. Guo-Liang Shi
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Correspondence to Guo-Liang Shi.

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Responsible editor: Jay Gan

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Zhang, Y., Shi, GL., Guo, CS. et al. Seasonal variations of concentrations, profiles and possible sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments from Taihu Lake, China. J Soils Sediments 12, 933–941 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-012-0526-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-012-0526-9

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