Characterisation of former manufactured gas plant soils using parent and alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and Rock-Eval(6) pyrolysis

Williams-Clayson, Alison M.; Vane, Christopher H. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8150-3640; Jones, Matthew D.; Thomas, Russell; Kim, Alexander W.; Taylor, Christopher; Beriro, Darren J.. 2023 Characterisation of former manufactured gas plant soils using parent and alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and Rock-Eval(6) pyrolysis. Environmental Pollution, 339, 122658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122658

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122658

Abstract/Summary

Soils sampled from 10 former manufactured gas plants (MGP) in the UK were investigated using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) and Rock-Eval (6) Pyrolysis (RE). RE is a screening tool used to characterise bulk organic matter in soils via the release of carbon compounds during pyrolysis and oxidation. Both the distributions and concentrations of 30 parent and 21 alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the parameters of RE were analysed to establish relationships between soils and the MGP processes history. Principal component analysis (PCA) using the PAHs distributions and RE parameters can assist with differentiating between MGP processes. MGP processes utilizing oil provided the clearest results, attributed to petrogenic signatures with high proportions of low molecular weight PAHs. Processes using lower temperature processes were distinguished by higher proportions of high molecular weight PAHs. RE parameters alone were unable to distinguish MGP processes but showed potential in estimating the lability and thus the amount of PAH that could be released from soils. This research provides new insights that may be useful in understanding and characterising the risks posed to human health from PAHs in soils.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122658
ISSN:	02697491
Date made live:	30 Oct 2023 16:51 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/536189

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122658

ISSN:

02697491

Date made live:

30 Oct 2023 16:51 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/536189