Correlations between physicochemical properties of PAHs and their distribution in soil, moss and reindeer dung at Ny-Ålesund of the Arctic

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) 2009-11, Vol.157 (11), p.3132-3136
• Main Authors: Wang, Zhen, Ma, Xindong, Na, Guangshui, Lin, Zhongsheng, Ding, Qian, Yao, Ziwei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Arctic; Arctic Regions; bioaccumulation; Biological and medical sciences; Bryophyta; Chemical Phenomena; Compartments; Dung; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Monitoring; feces; Feces - chemistry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Liquids; Moss; mosses and liverworts; PAHs; physicochemical properties; Plant cytology, morphology, systematics, chorology and evolution; polluted soils; Polyallylamine hydrochloride; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - chemistry; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - metabolism; Quotients; reindeer; Reindeer - metabolism; Soil; Soil (material); soil chemistry; Soil Pollutants - chemistry; Soil Pollutants - metabolism; soil pollution; spatial distribution; Sphagnopsida - chemistry; Sphagnopsida - metabolism
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2009.05.014

Concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil, moss and reindeer dung collected at Ny-Ålesund of the Arctic were measured to investigate their accumulation trends and distribution in the three compartments. Compared with the other regions, the proportions of 2 + 3 ring PAHs to the total PAHs were higher, whereas the proportions of 5 + 6 ring PAHs were lower in the three compartments at Ny-Ålesund. Significant log/log-linear relationship was observed between the sub-cooled liquid vapor pressure ( p L ° ) and the soil/moss quotient ( Q SM). The relation was similar to the relationship between the gas/particle partition coefficient ( K P) and p L ° of PAHs, implying Q SM would be a “mirror image” of K P. Excellent log/log-linear relationships were observed between Q SM and K OA as well as between the moss/dung quotient ( Q MD) and K OW. The results presented here indicate the physicochemical properties are suitable for characterizing the distribution of PAHs in soil, moss and reindeer dung. The physicochemical properties of PAHs are suitable for characterizing their distribution in soil, moss and reindeer dung.