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Apportionment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon sources in lower Fox River, USA, sediments by a chemical mass balance model
Author(s) -
Su MingChien,
Christensen Erik R.,
Karls Jay F.,
Kosuru Sailaja,
Imamoglu Ipek
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620190603
Subject(s) - phenanthrene , environmental chemistry , environmental science , polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon , coal , sediment , combustion , coal combustion products , coke , chemistry , geology , organic chemistry , paleontology
Four sediment cores were collected from the lower Fox River, Wisconsin, USA, to identify possible sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using a chemical mass balance model. The cores, which were obtained in 1995 from areas close to Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA, had total PAH concentrations between 19.3 and 0.34 ppm. To determine historical trends of PAH inputs, 210 Pb and 137 Cs dating was used, and elemental carbon particle analysis was done to characterize particles from the combustion of coal, wood, and petroleum. Source fingerprints were taken from the literature. Our results indicate that coke oven emissions, highway dust, coal gasification, and wood burning are likely sources of PAHs in the lower Fox River. Coke oven emissions are in the range of 40 to 90% of total PAHs, and this fraction decreases from 1930 to 1990, except in core Fox River–A (FR‐A). The overall highway dust (HWY) contribution is between 10 and 75%, and this fraction increases from 1930 to present, except in core FR‐A. The wood burning (WB) contribution (i.e., wood burning or coal gasification) is less than 7% in cores FR‐B, FR‐C, and FR‐D. In core FR‐A, a maximum (≈23%) is found around 1960. The contribution of wood burning has changed from less than 6% in 1950 to between 3 and 10% in 1995. Evidence of aerobic biodegradation or photolysis in the sediment of phenanthrene, with a half‐life of approximately 0.5 years has been found at the site of core FR‐D, which is the shallowest (1.1 m) of the four core sites.