Oxygen-containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil

Oxygen-containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OPAHs) are more toxic and more water soluble than their parent-PAHs. Little is however known about the concentrations, composition pattern, sources and fate of OPAHs in soil. In this book an accurate and precise analytical method for the determination of OPAHs together with parent-PAHs is reported. Method was further applied to soils from the Angren industrial region (Uzbekistan), Berlin (Germany), Bratislava (Slovakia) and Manaus (Brazil). OPAH and PAH concentrations were strongly correlated suggesting that both compound classes originated from the same primary anthropogenic sources. OPAHs were dominated by 9-fluorenone, 9,10-anthraquinone, 1-indanone and benzo[a]anthracene-7,12-dione and the concentrations of these compounds were frequently much higher than parent-PAHs. OPAHs also showed faster vertical mobility by leaching in field soils than their parent-PAHs. Hence groundwater maybe under increasing threat from OPAHs. This calls for legal regulation of OPAH concentrations in soil. Chapters on PBDEs in soil and biological naphthalene production is also included. This book will be useful to Environmental Scientist and Students.