Title: Effect of physico-chemical characteristics on distribution of PAHs in different size sediments from the Wuhan Reach of the Yangtze River, China

Authors: Hong-yuan Wang, Zhen-yao Shen, Jun-feng Niu, Ya He, Yu-Min Chen

Addresses: State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekou Wai Street, Beijing 100875, China. ' State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekou Wai Street, Beijing 100875, China. ' State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekou Wai Street, Beijing 100875, China. ' State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekou Wai Street, Beijing 100875, China. ' State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekou Wai Street, Beijing 100875, China

Abstract: The composition and environmental risks of PAHs in different size sediments collected from Yangtze River Catchment in Wuhan, China, were investigated. This study suggested that organic matter content in different size sediments was the main factor affecting the composition and distribution of PAH residues, but there was no significant relationship between the source of organic matter and PAH concentrations in sediments. Interestingly, total N, mostly contributed by organic nitrogen, also an indicator of the fertility of sediments, showed significant correlation with the distribution of PAHs. Black carbon exhibited importance in <25 μm size fraction sediment.

Keywords: PAHs; sediment; grain size; organic matter; black carbon; total nitrogen; Yangtze River; China; environmental pollution; water pollution; river pollution; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2011.040972

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2011 Vol.8 No.1/2, pp.160 - 173

Published online: 24 Jan 2015 *

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