Sources and spatial distribution of particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Shanghai, China

Yue Liu; Caiqing Yan; Xiang Ding; Xinming Wang; Qingyan Fu; Qianbiao Zhao; Yihua Zhang; Yusen Duan; Xinghua Qiu; Mei Zheng

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.134

Sources and spatial distribution of particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Shanghai, China

Sci Total Environ. 2017 Apr 15:584-585:307-317. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.134. Epub 2017 Jan 21.

Authors

Yue Liu¹, Caiqing Yan¹, Xiang Ding², Xinming Wang², Qingyan Fu³, Qianbiao Zhao³, Yihua Zhang³, Yusen Duan³, Xinghua Qiu⁴, Mei Zheng⁵

Affiliations

¹ State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
³ Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center, Shanghai 200030, China.
⁴ State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China. Electronic address: xhqiu@pku.edu.cn.
⁵ State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Beijing Innovation Center for Engineering Science and Advanced Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China. Electronic address: mzheng@pku.edu.cn.

PMID: 28117160
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.134

Abstract

Atmospheric particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been drawing sustained attention due to their health risk and effects on air pollution. It is essential to determine the main sources and reduce atmospheric levels of PAHs to protect human health. PAHs in PM_2.5 have been detected at five sites located in five districts in Shanghai, a modern metropolitan city in China. Spatial and temporal variations of composition profiles and sources of PAHs at each site in each season were investigated. The results showed that atmospheric particulate PAHs level in Shanghai was the lowest in summer and the highest in winter, dominated by high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs. Analysis with a combination of coefficients of Pearson's correlation and coefficient of divergences indicated heterogeneous spatial and temporal distribution for LMW PAHs and homogenous distribution for HMW PAHs. Diagnostic ratios and positive matrix factorization (PMF) model both identified pyrogenic sources as the main contributor of PAHs in Shanghai, with vehicular source contribution of 32-43% to the total PAHs annually and around 20% from biomass burning emissions in urban and urban buildup areas. While in winter, coal combustion and biomass burning could act as two major sources of PAHs in suburban areas, which could contribute to >70% of total PAHs measured in PM_2.5 in Shanghai.

Keywords: Composition profile; PAHs; Shanghai; Source; Spatial distribution.