Distribution and transportation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at the Humen river mouth in the Pearl River delta and their influencing factors

Five different water samples were collected from the surface to the bottom layers at the Humen river mouth in the Pearl River delta during the flood and ebb tides in August 2011, respectively. Changes in the distribution and characteristics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were examined to explore their transportation process. More than 62 types of PAHs were detected in the water columns. The mean concentration of the total PAHs ranged from 849.33 to 1370.53 ng/l and from 629.21 to 2019.91 ng/l during the flood and ebb tides, respectively. Furthermore, 2-ring PAHs were the most abundant species, followed by 3-ring PAHs. There were different composition patterns of the PAHs during the flood and ebb tides. And the transportation process of PAHs was influenced by their sources and different estuarine hydrodynamics. Analysis of the sources of the PAHs indicated that the PAHs were derived from primarily petroleum and coal combustion sources.