Multimedia fate and source apportionment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a coking industry city in Northern China

Environ Pollut. 2013 Oct:181:115-21. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2013.06.015. Epub 2013 Jul 8.

Abstract

A steady state Level III fate model was established and applied to quantify source-receptor relationship in a coking industry city in Northern China. The local emission inventory of PAHs, as the model input, was acquired based on energy consumption and emission factors. The model estimations were validated by measured data and indicated remarkable variations in the paired isomeric ratios. When a rectification factor, based on the receptor-to-source ratio, was calculated by the fate model, the quantitatively verified molecular diagnostic ratios provided reasonable results of local PAH emission sources. Due to the local ban and measures on small scale coking activities implemented from the beginning of 2004, the model calculations indicated that the local emission amount of PAHs in 2009 decreased considerably compared to that in 2003.

Keywords: Correction; Molecular diagnostic ratio; Multimedia fate model; PAHs emission; Source apportionment.

MeSH terms

  • China
  • Cities
  • Coke
  • Environmental Monitoring / methods*
  • Environmental Pollutants / analysis*
  • Environmental Pollution / statistics & numerical data
  • Industry
  • Models, Chemical
  • Multimedia
  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / analysis*

Substances

  • Coke
  • Environmental Pollutants
  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons