Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils of an industrial area in semi-arid Uzbekistan: spatial distribution, relationship with trace metals and risk assessment.

ABSTRACT: The concentrations, composition patterns, transport and fate of PAHs in semi-arid and arid soils such as in Central Asia are not well known. Such knowledge is required to manage the risk posed by these toxic chemicals to humans and ecosystems in these regions. To fill this knowledge gap, we determined the concentrations of 21 parent PAHs, 4,5-methylenephenanthrene, 6 alkylated PAHs, and biphenyl in soils from 11 sampling locations (0-10, 10-20 cm soil depths) along a 20-km transect downwind from the Almalyk metal mining and metallurgical industrial complex (Almalyk MMC), Uzbekistan. The concentrations of Σ29 PAHs and Σ16 US-EPA PAHs were 41-2670 ng g^-1 and 29-1940 ng g^-1, respectively. The highest concentration of Σ29 PAHs occurred in the immediate vicinity of the cop

SUBMITTER: Bandowe BAM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8528758 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature