Issue 12, 2012

Carcinogenic potential of soils contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Xiamen metropolis, China

Abstract

Xiamen is one of China's most rapidly developing metropolises. The objectives of the present study were: (1) to establish the levels and spatial distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil across the Xiamen metropolis, (2) to evaluate the extent to which PAH concentrations were elevated in the high urbanization area (HUA) of the island and how these compared with those in the low urbanization area (LUA) of the mainland, and (3) to evaluate the PAH hazard based upon their Carcinogenic Potential (CP), defined as toxicity equivalence of ∑PAHs. Twenty two alternative relative carcinogenic potency schemes were used and compared. Results demonstrated PAH concentrations to be greatly elevated across the entire metropolis. Significantly, the most enriched compounds represented the greatest concern with respect to carcinogenicity. The CP of more than 25% of the industrial samples from the island surpassed the Canadian guidance threshold value (600 μg kg−1) for an excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) of 1 in 10−6. While soil samples from the remaining land uses on the island were all below this threshold, PAH levels in soil were nonetheless elevated (enrichment factors of between 4.1 ± 1.9 and 16.3 ± 12.4 in the HUA, and between 1.3 ± 0.7 and 10.8 ± 4.4 in the LUA). Results relating to agricultural locations on the island indicated 75% of the samples in HUA and 28% of the samples in LUA to be above the USEPA guidance value for BaP (15 μg kg−1). Given the exceptionally high population density on the island there is a need for further research to evaluate multiple pathway PAH exposure risks.

Graphical abstract: Carcinogenic potential of soils contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Xiamen metropolis, China

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
06 Jul 2012
Accepted
14 Sep 2012
First published
18 Sep 2012

J. Environ. Monit., 2012,14, 3111-3117

Carcinogenic potential of soils contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Xiamen metropolis, China

C. Cai, Y. Zhang, B. J. Reid and L. M. Nunes, J. Environ. Monit., 2012, 14, 3111 DOI: 10.1039/C2EM30554B

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Spotlight

Advertisements