Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in urban soils of Greater London, UK

• Published in: Applied geochemistry Vol. 51; pp. 303 - 314
• Main Authors: Vane, Christopher H., Kim, Alexander W., Beriro, Darren J., Cave, Mark R., Knights, Katherine, Moss-Hayes, Vicky, Nathanail, Paul C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: benzo(a)pyrene; cities; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Exact sciences and technology; Geochemistry; human health; Pollution, environment geology; polychlorinated biphenyls; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; United Kingdom; urban soils; United Kingdom; Europe; Western Europe; PCBs; concentration; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; soils
• ISSN: 0883-2927; 1872-9134
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2014.09.013

•London soil PAH concentrations are comparable with other cities.•London soil PCB concentrations are higher than other cities.•London soils contain multiple pryrogenic PAH sources.•Normal background PAH concentrations exceed land management assessment criteria. Surface soils from a 19km2 area in east London, UK were analysed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) (n=76). ∑16 PAH ranged from 4 to 67mg/kg (mean, 18mg/kg) and ∑50 PAH ranged from 6 to 88mg/kg (mean, 25mg/kg). ∑7 PCB ranged from 1 to 750μg/kg (mean, 22μg/kg) and ∑tri-hepta PCB ranged 9 to 2600μg/kg (mean, 120μg/kg). Compared to other international cities concentrations were similar for PAH but higher for PCB. Normal background concentrations (NBC) were calculated and compared to risk-based human health generic assessment criteria (GAC). Benzo[a]pyrene NBC for urban (6.9mg/kg), semi-urban (4.4mg/kg) and urban+semi urban (6mg/kg) domains exceed residential (1mg/kg) and allotment (2.2mg/kg) LQM/CIEH GAC (at 6% SOM) and the Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene NBC for urban (6.8mg/kg) and urban+semi-urban (5.2mg/kg) domains exceed the residential (4.2mg/kg) LQM/CIEH GAC (at 6% SOM). Capsule Abstract: Normal background concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls are elevated in east London soils and in some cases exceed regulatory assessment criteria.