Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Insular and Coastal Soils of the Russian Arctic

The content and individual component compositions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in polar soils of the Russian Arctic sector have been studied. The contamination of soils near research stations is identified from the expansion of the range of individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, the abr...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Abakumov, Evgeny
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Pleiades Publishing, Ltd. 2015
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11701/1884
Description
Summary:The content and individual component compositions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in polar soils of the Russian Arctic sector have been studied. The contamination of soils near research stations is identified from the expansion of the range of individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, the abrupt increase in the content of heavy fractions, and the accumulation of benzo[a]pyrene. Along with heavy hydro carbons, light hydrocarbons (which are not only natural compounds, but also components of organic pollut ants) are also accumulated in the contaminated soils. Heavy polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are usually of technogenic origin and can serve as markers of anthropogenic impact in such areas as Cape Sterligov, Cape Chelyuskin, and the Izvestii TsIK Islands. The content of benzo[a]pyrene, the most hazardous organic toxi cant, appreciably increases in soils around the stations, especially compared to the control; however, the level of MPC is exceeded only for the soils of Cape Chelyuskin. This work was supported in part by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project nos. 12 04 00680 a, 14 04 31303 mol_a), the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (project no. 12 U 4 1003), the St. Petersburg State University (project no. 1.37.151.2014), and the Grant of the President of the Russian Federation for young doctors in sciences (project no. MD 3615.2015.4).