Distribution and Photochemistry of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Baotou Section of the Yellow River During Winter.

Qi Zhang, Guoxia Pei, Gengyun Liu, Hanqing Li, Lihui Gao

Index: Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 69 , 133-42, (2015)

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Abstract

In this study, ice and water samples were collected from seven sites along the Baotou section of the Yellow River during winter 2013. Total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in the ice and in the water under the ice ranged from 21.3 to 59.4 ng L(-1), and from 38.3 to 222.4 ng L(-1), respectively. The average concentration in water under the ice was approximately 2.5 times greater than the average concentration in the ice phase. Four-ring PAHs dominated and accounted for 68.2 and 76.0 % of the total PAHs in ice and water, respectively. PAH concentrations were highest at sampling site S2 and were also relatively high at sites S4 and S5. PAH sources in ice and in water under the ice were similar. Three components were selected to represent the coal-combustion sources of PAHs. Because it was the main pollutant, and its concentrations were the highest, we examined the photodegradation behavior of fluoranthene and investigated the effects of light-sensitive materials (H2O2, acetone, and sediment) on fluoranthene photodegradation in the ice phase. Results showed that low H2O2 concentrations promoted photoconversion in the initial stage of the reaction and that degradation rates decreased later in the reaction. Likewise, high H2O2 concentrations promoted photoconversion. As acetone concentrations increased, the rates of fluoranthene-degradation decreased. Sediments may also have decreased the degradation rate of fluoranthene.