Vehicular influence on atmospheric concentrations and source apportionment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in some major cities in three regions of Ghana using epiphytic lichens.

ABSTRACT: The present study employed epiphytic lichens as biomonitor and passive air sampler for the assessment of fifteen (15) atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in some major cities in three regions of Ghana. A total of 36 composite lichen samples were collected and analysed using Gas Chromatography - Tandem Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS-MS). The total PAH recorded ranged between 1909.9 ng/kg (A36) and 250,091.4 ng/kg (W15). Due to the inherent deficiencies in using a single source apportionment tool, multiple source apportionment methods including diagnostic ratios, principal component analysis/absolute principal component scores (PCA-APCS) and APCS with automatic linear model (APCS-ALM) were used to ascertain the source of PAHs in the lichens. The diagnostic ratios revealed a mix sou

SUBMITTER: Thompson N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9742958 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature