Distribution, sources and transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in karst spring systems from Western Hubei, Central China

Wei Chen; Ziqiong Zhang; Ying Zhu; Xianzhen Wang; Longliang Wang; Junwu Xiong; Zhe Qian; Shuai Xiong; Ruichao Zhao; Wei Liu; Qiuke Su; Jiangang Zhou; Hong Zhou; Shihua Qi; Kevin C Jones

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134502

Distribution, sources and transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in karst spring systems from Western Hubei, Central China

Chemosphere. 2022 Aug:300:134502. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134502. Epub 2022 Apr 5.

Authors

Wei Chen¹, Ziqiong Zhang², Ying Zhu³, Xianzhen Wang⁴, Longliang Wang⁵, Junwu Xiong², Zhe Qian², Shuai Xiong⁶, Ruichao Zhao⁶, Wei Liu⁷, Qiuke Su⁸, Jiangang Zhou⁹, Hong Zhou⁶, Shihua Qi², Kevin C Jones¹⁰

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, and School of Environmental Studies, and Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental Water Science in the Yangtze River Basin, and Hubei Provincial Engineering Research Center of Systematic Water Pollution Control, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430078, China; Institute of Geological Survey, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China; Ecological Environment Monitoring Station, Ninth Division, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Tacheng, Xinjiang, 834601, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, and School of Environmental Studies, and Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental Water Science in the Yangtze River Basin, and Hubei Provincial Engineering Research Center of Systematic Water Pollution Control, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430078, China.
³ School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
⁴ Geological Exploration Institute of Shandong Zhengyuan, China Metallurgical Geology Bureau, Tai'an, 271000, China.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, and School of Environmental Studies, and Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental Water Science in the Yangtze River Basin, and Hubei Provincial Engineering Research Center of Systematic Water Pollution Control, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430078, China; State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
⁶ Institute of Geological Survey, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China.
⁷ Institute of Geological Survey, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China. Electronic address: wliu@cug.edu.cn.
⁸ Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing, 210042, China.
⁹ Geological Exploration Institute of Shandong Zhengyuan, China Metallurgical Geology Bureau, Weifang, 261021, China.
¹⁰ Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, United Kingdom.

PMID: 35395255
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134502

Abstract

Karst groundwater is an important water resource but it is vulnerable to contaminants, due to the distinctive geological features of abundant transmissive fractures and conduits in the karst area which connect the surface to the underground systems. Anthropogenic activity-derived polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on the surface environment could enter groundwater easily and rapidly and threaten water security in karst areas. Samples in the multimedia environment from 10 specific karst spring systems from Western Hubei of Central China were collected to analyze 16 priority PAHs and to investigate their transport in these karst spring systems. The total concentrations of PAHs in the soil, river water, river sediments, spring water, and spring sediments ranged between 6.04 and 67.7 ng g^-1, 4.56 and 11.4 ng L^-1, 29.9 and 1041 ng g^-1, 4.09 and 222 ng L^-1, and 5.88 and 83.0 ng g^-1, respectively. Levels of PAHs in this area were relatively low when compared to other karst areas. Proportions of low-molecular-weight (LMW)-PAHs in the water, sediments and soil (average 58.2-78.8%) were much higher than those of high-molecular-weight (HMW)-PAHs. The proportion of LMW-PAHs in the sediments (especially in river sediments) was higher than that in the soil. Characteristic ratio analysis and principal component analysis showed that PAHs were from high-temperature combustion of the mixture of coal and biomass, and vehicle emission, where coal and biomass combustion were the dominant sources. Significant correlations of PAH compositions in different media of karst spring systems were observed, especially in the Yuquangdong (YQD)-Migongquan (MGQ), Jiuzhenziquan (JZZQ), Xianyudong (XYD) and Fengdong (FD) karst spring systems, indicating the rapid PAH transport from the recharge area soil to the discharge area of spring water and sediments.

Keywords: Hydrogeological conditions; Karst spring; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); Source analysis; Transport; Western Hubei.

MeSH terms

China
Coal / analysis
Environmental Monitoring
Geologic Sediments
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons* / analysis
Rivers
Soil
Water / analysis
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis

Substances

Coal
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Soil
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Water