IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i21p13796-d951956.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Analysis of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Sources and Vertical Distribution in Soils of the Age-Diverse Brownfields of Southern Poland Using Positive Matrix Factorisation and Data Mining Model

Author

Listed:
  • Krystyna Ciarkowska

    (Soil Science and Agrophysics Department, University of Agriculture in Krakow, 21, Mickiewicz St., 31-120 Krakow, Poland)

  • Messias de Carvalho

    (Soil Science and Agrophysics Department, University of Agriculture in Krakow, 21, Mickiewicz St., 31-120 Krakow, Poland)

  • Florian Gambus

    (Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry Department, University of Agriculture in Krakow, 21, Mickiewicz St., 31-120 Krakow, Poland)

Abstract

In this study, we aimed at understanding a relation between PAH accumulation in the soils of brownfields that differed in origin (i.e., waste after coal mining, power plant, zinc–lead- or iron-ore processing) and age (400 years old to present). PAH contents were determined after their extraction with 2-propanol using a gas chromatograph (GC) equipped with a flame ionisation detector (FID) and a FactorFour VF-5MS capillary column. Sources of PAHs were identified using positive matrix factorisation (PMF). In regard to the relevance of the variables that helped explain the PAH accumulation, a random forest (RF) method was used. PMF analysis highlighted the connection of PAH sources with the industrial activity performed in the area. PAH concentrations increased with the age of tailings, but always exceeded the threshold-effect levels, indicating their potential to cause harm to humans. The RF method showed that for 2–3-ring PAHs the most important factor was the carbon content followed by clay, site, depth, pH, and then nitrogen, while for other PAHs, only the N content and depth exceeded 50% importance. PAHs’ vertical distributions reflected the history and the time passing from the brownfield site formation. Severe contamination of the brownfield soils indicates the necessity for remediation measures, especially where there are plans to build on these areas.

Suggested Citation

  • Krystyna Ciarkowska & Messias de Carvalho & Florian Gambus, 2022. "Analysis of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Sources and Vertical Distribution in Soils of the Age-Diverse Brownfields of Southern Poland Using Positive Matrix Factorisation and Data Mining Mod," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-16, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:21:p:13796-:d:951956
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/21/13796/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/21/13796/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Haihua Jiao & Qi Wang & Nana Zhao & Bo Jin & Xuliang Zhuang & Zhihui Bai, 2017. "Distributions and Sources of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Soils around a Chemical Plant in Shanxi, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-19, October.
    2. Siyan Zeng & Jing Ma & Yanhua Ren & Gang-Jun Liu & Qi Zhang & Fu Chen, 2019. "Assessing the Spatial Distribution of Soil PAHs and their Relationship with Anthropogenic Activities at a National Scale," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-22, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Huanling Wu & Binghua Sun & Jinhua Li, 2019. "Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Sediments/Soils of the Rapidly Urbanized Lower Reaches of the River Chaohu, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-16, June.
    2. Sławomir Józef Krzebietke & Ewa Mackiewicz-Walec & Stanisław Sienkiewicz & Jadwiga Wierzbowska & Dariusz Załuski & Agata Borowik, 2022. "Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Soil at Different Depths under a Long-Term Experiment Depending on Fertilization," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-13, August.
    3. Aleksandra Góralczyk-Bińkowska & Andrzej Długoński & Przemysław Bernat & Jerzy Długoński & Anna Jasińska, 2022. "Accelerated PAH Transformation in the Presence of Dye Industry Landfill Leachate Combined with Fungal Membrane Lipid Changes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-19, October.
    4. Dongxiang Chen & Han Zhao & Jun Zhao & Zhenci Xu & Shaohua Wu, 2020. "Mapping the Finer-Scale Carcinogenic Risk of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Urban Soil—A Case Study of Shenzhen City, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-13, September.
    5. Li Ji & Wenwen Li & Yuan Li & Qiusheng He & Yonghong Bi & Minghua Zhang & Guixiang Zhang & Xinming Wang, 2022. "Spatial Distribution, Potential Sources, and Health Risk of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Surface Soils under Different Land-Use Covers of Shanxi Province, North China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-14, September.
    6. Di Wang & Jing Ma & Hao Li & Xingchang Zhang, 2018. "Concentration and Potential Ecological Risk of PAHs in Different Layers of Soil in the Petroleum-Contaminated Areas of the Loess Plateau, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-15, August.
    7. Kaywood Elijah Leizou & Gift Cornelius Timighe & Muhammad Aqeel Ashraf, 2022. "Pah Exposition And Carcinogenicity Risk Evaluation In Soils From Niger Delta, Nigeria," Environmental Contaminants Reviews (ECR), Zibeline International Publishing, vol. 5(1), pages 35-39, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:21:p:13796-:d:951956. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.