Contemporary Research Progress on the Detection of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

PM2.5-bound synchronous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals in in a typical cold city in northern China: Differences in heating and non-heating periods

Heating process in cold cities leads to elevated levels of PM2.5-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals (HMs), which are health concerns for their carcinogenic and mutagenic characteristics. In this study, the variations and potential health risks attributable to PM2.5-bound synchronous PAHs and HMs were assessed in non-heating and heating periods in 2023 in Harbin, a typical cold city in northern China. Results showed that PAHs and HMs concentrations during the heating period (19.77 ng/m3 and 55.79 ng/m3) were higher than the non-heating period (2.11 ng/m3 and 34.67 ng/m3). During the heating period, PAHs primarily originated from pyrogenic activities (70.82 %), while traffic-related sources were dominant in the non-heating period (74.40 %). HMs were predominantly contributed by road dust and diesel emissions. The results of the health risk assessment show that direct inhalation of heavy metals and PAHs in PM2.5 through the respiratory tract poses a certain carcinogenic risk to both adults and children, while the non-carcinogenic health risks are relatively low. Specifically, elements such as Sb, Cd, As, Pb, and Mn exhibit significant carcinogenic risks, while the health risks of other substances are at a lower level. The concentration of pollutants is significantly higher during the heating season than in the non-heating season, and the exposure effects among different populations are in the order of adults > adolescents > children. Additionally, in each age group, the lifetime excess cancer risk values are mostly distributed within the range of 10-6 to 10-4, gradually approaching the international safety threshold (1 × 10-6). This result indicates that the heavy metals and PAHs contained in PM2.5 in the atmosphere of Harbin have potential carcinogenic risks. This study reveals the key characteristics of health risks related to PAHs and HMs in cold regions, providing a scientific basis for effectively conducting air quality supervision and ensuring public health.

Hazards of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: a review on occurrence, detection, and role of green nanomaterials on the removal of PAH from the water environment

Organic pollutant contamination in the environment is a serious and dangerous issue, especially for developing countries. Among all organic pollutants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are the more frequently discovered ones in the environment. PAH contamination is caused chiefly by anthropogenic sources, such as the disposal of residential and industrial waste and automobile air emissions. They are gaining interest due to their environmental persistence, toxicity, and probable bioaccumulation. The existence of PAHs may result in damage to the environment and living things, and there is widespread concern about the acute and chronic threats posed by the release of these contaminants. The detection and elimination of PAHs from wastewater have been the focus of numerous technological developments during recent decades. The development of sensitive and economical monitoring systems for detecting these substances has attracted a lot of scientific attention. Using several nanomaterials and nanocomposites is a promising treatment option for the identification and elimination of PAHs in aquatic ecosystems. This review elaborated on the sources of origin, pathogenicity, and widespread occurrence of PAHs. In addition, the paper highlighted the use of nanomaterial-based sensors in detecting PAHs from contaminated sites and nanomaterial-based absorbents in PAH elimination from wastewater. This review also addresses the development of Graphene and Biofunctionalized nanomaterials for the elimination of PAHs from the contaminated sites.

The Preparation of Covalent Bonding COF-TpBD Coating in Arrayed Nanopores of Stainless Steel Fiber for Solid-Phase Microextraction of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Water

Covalent organic framework (COF)-TpBD was grafted on the arrayed nanopores of stainless steel fiber (SSF) with (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane as the cross-linking agent. The prepared SSF bonded with COF-TpBD showed high thermal and chemical stability and excellent repeatability. The prepared SSF bonded with COF-TpBD was also used for the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) of seven kinds of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in actual water samples, followed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) determination, which exhibited low limits of detection (LODs), good relative standard deviation (RSD) and high recoveries.

Occurrence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, microplastics and biofilms in Alqueva surface water at touristic spots

Freshwater pollution is a huge concern. A study aiming to evaluate physico-chemical characteristics, microbiota, occurrence of two groups of persistent environmental pollutants with similar chemical properties (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons- PAHs and microplastics - MPs) in Alqueva's surface water was performed during 2021. Water samples were collected at three spots related to touristic activities (two beaches and one marina) during the Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn seasons. In addition, the presence of biofilms on plastic and natural materials (stone, wood/ vegetal materials) were assessed and compared. Water quality based on physicochemical parameters was acceptable with a low eutrophication level. PAHs concentration levels were lower than the standard limits established for surface waters by international organizations. However, carcinogenic compounds were detected in two sampling locations, which can pose a problem for aquatic ecosystems. PAHs profiles showed significant differences when comparing the dry seasons with the rainy seasons, with a higher number of different compounds detected in Spring. Low molecular weigh compounds, usually associated with the atmospheric deposition and petroleum contamination, were more prevalent. MPs were detected in all samples except one during the Winter season. The polymers detected were poly(methyl-2-methylpropenoate), polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, polypropylene, styrene butadiene, polyvinyl chloride and low /high density polyethylene with the last being the most frequent. Biofilms were more often detected on plastics than on natural materials. In addition, biofilms detected on plastics were more complex with higher microbial diversity (e.g., bacteria, fungi/yeast and phytoplancton organisms) and richer in extrapolymeric material. Based on morphological analysis a good agreement between microbiota and microorganism present in the biofilms was found. Among microbiota were identified microorganisms previously linked to plastic and PAHs detoxification suggesting the need for further studies to evaluate the viability of using biofilms as part of a green bioremediation strategy to mitigate water pollution.