Yinchang Feng, Guoliang Shi, Jianhui Wu, Yuqiu Wang, Tan Zhu, and Shugui Dai, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Urban Ambient Air Particulate Matter Pollution Prevention and Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China

Yiqiang Pei, State Key Laboratory of Engine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China

Abstract:

Particle-associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations were investigated at six sampling sites in the heating (February to March 2001) and nonheating (August to September 2001) periods in an industrial city in Northern China. Thirteen PAHs were measured. The total average concentrations (nanograms per meter cubed) of PAHs ranged between 78.93 and 214.63 during the heating period and from 31.48 to 102.26 in the nonheating period. Benzo(a)pyrene occurred at the highest level at a site near an industrial area but occurred at low concentrations far from the city center and industrial areas. In addition, ambient PAH profiles were studied. The five and six-ring species occurred in high fractions at the sampling site. By diagnostic ratio analysis, the major source at each sampling site in the city was coal combustion in the heating period; in the nonheating period, the major sources were relatively complex. Finally, the similarities among the six regions were assessed by principal component analysis, cluster analysis, and coefficient of divergence. These multivariate statistical analyses produced similar results, which agreed with the results from the diagnostic ratio analysis.

Implications:

In the heating and nonheating periods, the major sources of PAH emissions are different. The PAH emissions in heating period can be attributed to the domestic coal combustion.

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