Benzo[<i>a</i>]pyrene in urban environments of eastern Moscow: pollution levels and critical loads
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), particularly benzo[<i>a</i>]pyrene (BaP), are toxic compounds emitted from various anthropogenic sources. Understanding the BaP concentrations, dynamics and decomposition in soil is required to assess the critical loads of BaP in urban environment...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2017-02-01
|
| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/17/2217/2017/acp-17-2217-2017.pdf |
| Summary: | Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), particularly
benzo[<i>a</i>]pyrene (BaP), are toxic compounds emitted from various anthropogenic
sources. Understanding the BaP concentrations, dynamics and decomposition in
soil is required to assess the critical loads of BaP in urban environments.
This study is the first attempt to evaluate all major input and output components of
benzo[<i>a</i>]pyrene (BaP) balance and to calculate the permissible load on the
urban environment in different land-use zones in the Eastern district of
Moscow. BaP contamination of the snow cover in the Eastern district
of Moscow was related to daily BaP fallout from the atmosphere. In 2010, the
mean content of the pollutant in the snow dust was 1942 ng g<sup>−1</sup>, whereas
the average intensity of its fallout was 7.13 ng m<sup>−2</sup> per day. Across
the territory, BaP winter fallout intensities varied from 0.3 to 1100 ng m<sup>−2</sup> per day. The average BaP content in the surface (0–10 cm) soil
horizons was 409 ng g<sup>−1</sup>, which is 83 times higher than the local
background value and 20 times higher than the maximum permissible
concentration (MPC) accepted in Russia. The variations in soil and snow BaP
concentrations among different land-use zones were examined. A significant
contribution of BaP from the atmosphere to urban soils was identified. Based
on the measurements of BaP atmospheric fallout and BaP reserves in the
soils, the critical loads of BaP for the land-use zones in the Eastern district were calculated for different values of degradation intensity and
different exposure times. It was established that at an annual degradation
intensity of 1–10 %, ecologically safe BaP levels in the soils of all
land-use zones, excluding the agricultural zone, will only be reached after
many decades or centuries. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |