Levels and Sources of PAHs in Selected Sites from Portugal: Biomonitoring with Pinus pinea and Pinus pinaster Needles

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2010

Authors

Nuno Ratola (Author) FEUP; Jose Manuel Amigo (Author) Other; Arminda Alves (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology

Vol. 58

Pages: 631-647

ISSN: 0090-4341

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 30 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 37 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences > Basic medicine

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-003-7N0

DOI: 10.1007/s00244-009-9462-0

Abstract (EN): Pine needle samples from two pine species (Pinus pinaster Ait. and Pinus pinea L.) were collected at 29 sites scattered throughout Portugal, in order to biomonitor the levels and trends of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The values obtained for the sum of all PAHs ranged from 76 to 1944 ng/g [dry weight (dw)]. Despite the apparent matrix similarities between both pine species, P. pinaster needles revealed higher mean entrapment levels than P. pinea (748 and 399 ng/g (dw) per site, respectively). The urban and industrial sites have the highest average of PAH incidence [for P. pinea, 465 and 433 ng/g (dw) per site, respectively, and for P. pinaster, 1147 and 915 ng/g (dw)], followed by the rural sites [233 ng/g and 711 ng/g (dw) per site, for P. pinea and P. pinaster, respectively]. The remote sites, both from P. pinaster needles, show the least contamination, with 77 ng/g (dw) per site. A predominance of 3-ring and 4-ring PAHs was observed in most samples, with phenanthrene having 30.1% of the total. Naphthalene prevailed in remote sites. Rainfall had no influence on the PAHs levels, but there was a relationship between higher wind speeds and lower concentrations. PAH molecular ratios revealed the influence of both petrogenic and pyrogenic sources.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 17