Native PAHs in hard coal particles as a possible source of increased PAH concentrations in river sediments

Author(s)

Vesna Micic Batka, Christine Achten, Thilo Hofmann

Abstract

Due to coal mining, transport and incomplete coal combustion, coal particles can be dispersed into soils and sediments where they can present a source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) [1]. Once released into the environment, they play a pivotal role (amongst char coal, coke and soot) by carrying the predominant part of e.g. PAHs present in the sediment-water system. These particles together with their carcinogenic load can be taken up by organisms and the emanating risks have rarely been investigated [2]. While pyrogenic PAHs are known to be ubiquitous in environment, it is hardly recognized that native PAHs are the reason for elevated PAH concentrations in hard coals [3] being released into the environment during coal mining and transport. Although native PAHs have been in focus of previous research, [4, 5], a general overview of PAHs in hard coals from various large hard coal mining areas has not yet been reported.

The aim of this study is to elucidate (1) whether increased native PAH concentrations are present in hard coal samples from large mining areas and (2) whether PAH amounts and patterns correspond to hard coal rank.

In this study, for the analysis of PAHs in hard coal samples from some large mining areas (i.e. China, US, Australia, Indonesia, Poland, Germany, Ukraine, Kazakhstan), we applied accelerated solvent extraction using dichloromethane and fractionation according to polarity by column chromatography. Subsequently, fractions containing PAHs (~50 PAHs) were analyzed by GC-MS. First results of the study will be presented.

 

References

[1] Pies, C., Yang, Y., and Hofmann, T. (2007), J. Soils Sed. Submitted.

[2] Chapman, P. M., Downie, J., Maynard, A., and Taylors, L. A. (1996), Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 15 (5): 638-642.

[3] Willsch, H. and Radke, M. (1995), Polycycl. Arom. Comp., 7, 231-251.

[4] Short, J. W., Kvenvolden, K. A., Carlson, P. R., Hostettler, F. D., Rosenbauer, R. J., and Wright, B. A. (1999), Environ. Sci. Technol., 33 (1), 34-42.

[5] Stout, S. A., Emsbo-Mattingly, S., Uhler, A. D., and McCarthy, K., J. (2002), Soil Sediment Groundwater Contamination, AEHS, (June), 12-15.

Organisation(s)

Pages

663-663

No. of pages

1

Publication date

2007

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

105904 Environmental research

Portal url

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/2e48982a-56a5-4cbc-8252-3337e2050a49