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Occurrence, sources and potential risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a permafrost soil core, northeast China

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Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in an AMS 14C-dated permafrost soil core extracted from continuous permafrost zone were measured to reconstruct the pollution history from the early Holocene (ca. 15480 a BP) and its potential risks under climate changes were evaluated in northeast China. Total PAH concentrations varied from 209 to 2161 ng/g through the core, which were moderately contaminated in the surface but heavily contaminated historically. Factor analysis indicated that volcanic activity, diagenesis from biological precursors and palaeo forest fires were dominant PAH sources, while petroleum emission was identified in the active layer due to the construction of China–Russia oil pipeline. Significant increases in 5-ring, 6-ring and 7 carcinogenic PAHs (p < 0.05) were observed from surface to the interface of the active layer and ice-rich permafrost layer, showing a selective downward migration in the active layer which might be effected by the repetitive cycles of freezing and thawing. Results implied that PAHs in the ice-rich permafrost layer could lead to an unpredictably serious consequence under the further climate warming.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 41971151 and 41401589), the Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province of China (Nos. YQ2019D005 and TD2019D002), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. 2017-KYYWF-0139), the Program for the Training of Young Innovative Talents in Ordinary Colleges and Universities of Heilongjiang Province (No. UNPYSCT-2018182), the Doctoral Scientific Research Foundation of Harbin Normal University (No. XKB201903), and the Graduate Innovative Programs Foundation of Harbin Normal University (No. HSDSSCX2018-04).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Heilongjiang Province Key Laboratory of Geographical Environment Monitoring and Spatial Information Service in Cold Regions, Harbin Normal University, Harbin, 150025, China

    Yanan Li, Shuying Zang & Li Sun

  2. Tian Rong Environment S&T Development Co., Ltd, Tianjin, 300380, China

    Ke Zhang

  3. College of Resources and Environmental Science, Hebei Normal University for Nationalities, Chengde, 067000, China

    Deyao Sun

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  1. Yanan Li
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  3. Ke Zhang
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  5. Li Sun
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Correspondence to Shuying Zang or Li Sun.

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Li, Y., Zang, S., Zhang, K. et al. Occurrence, sources and potential risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a permafrost soil core, northeast China. Ecotoxicology 30, 1315–1324 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-020-02285-2

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