Occurrence, sources, and potential risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in southern Xinjiang, China

Abstract

Abstract Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental pollutants of global concern, mainly originating from industrial activities, biomass combustion, and vehicle emissions. With the acceleration of industrialization, the surrounding environment of the industrial area may have potential health effects on the population. Therefore, we focused on the occurrence, source, and health risk assessment of PAHs in soil, plants, and water near industrial areas in southern Xinjiang, China. The occurrence of PAHs in different soil layers (0–10, 10–30, and 30–50 cm) was studied, with PAHs mainly concentrated in the topsoil (11.50–34.68 ng/g). In plants, PAHs varied from 56.63 to 597.28 ng/g, with the highest concentrations in reed (267.29–597.28 ng/g). Total PAHs in water ranged from 4183.85 to 24803.45 ng/L, with an average of 10,240 ng/L. 3-ring PAHs were the dominant species in soil, plants, and water with 55, 69, and 59%, respectively. PAHs isomer ratio results indicated that PAHs in soil, plants, and water mainly came from fossil fuels and biomass combustion. Incremental lifetime cancer risk estimation results demonstrated that adults might face higher potential health risks than children. Adults’ dermal contact was the dominant route of exposure, while oral ingestion was the dominant exposure pathway for children. The total carcinogenic risk value of corn is much higher than that of walnuts and red dates, indicating that PAHs pollution in corn must be taken seriously. The results can clarify the local pollution situation, and provide suggestions for improving pollution prevention and control measures.