Seasonal variation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil and air of Dalian areas, China: an assessment of soil–air exchange

Abstract

The seasonal variations of concentrations of PAHs in the soil and the air were measured in urban and rural region of Dalian, China in 2007. In soil, mean concentrations of all PAHs in summer were larger than those in winter, whereas the concentrations of heavier weight PAHs in winter were larger than those in summer. Winter/summer concentration ratios for individual PAHs (R_W/S) increased with the increase of molecular weight of PAHs in soil, indicating that PAHs with high molecular weight were more easily deposited to soil in winter than summer. In air, mean concentrations of all PAHs in winter were larger than those in summer. In comparison with the R_W/S in soil, all the values of R_W/S in air were larger than one indicating that the entire individual PAH concentrations in winter were larger than those in summer. The average concentration composition for each PAH compound in soil and air samples was determined and the seasonal change of PAH profile was very small. It was suggested that PAHs in soils and air had the same or similar sources both in winter and summer. The approach to the soil–air equilibrium was assessed by calculating fugacity quotients between soil and air using the soil and air concentrations. The calculated soil–air fugacity quotients indicated that soil acted as a secondary source to the atmosphere for all lighter weight PAHs (two–three rings) and it will continue to be a sink for heavier weight PAHs (five–six rings) in the Dalian environment, both in winter and summer. Medium weight PAHs (four–five rings) were close to the soil–air equilibrium and the tendency shifted between soil and air when season or function region changed. The fugacity quotients of PAHs in summer (mean temperature 298 K) were larger than those in winter (mean temperature 273 K), indicating a higher tendency in summer than winter for PAHs to move from soil to air. The variation of ambient conditions such as temperature, rainfall, etc. can influence the movement of PAHs between soil and air. Most of the fugacity quotients of PAHs for the urban sites were larger than that for the rural site both in winter and summer. This phenomenon may be related with that the temperatures in urban sites were higher than those in the rural site because of the urban heat island effect.