The distribution and source apportionment of aliphatic hydrocarbons in soils from the outskirts of Beijing

We report the first extensive study of the spatial distribution and source apportionment of aliphatic hydrocarbons in soils from the Beijing outskirts. Mixed soil samples (5–30 cm depth) were collected for the quantitative determination of n-alkanes, isoprenoids, unresolved complex mixtures and the qualitative determination of hopanes and steranes. The total concentrations, including n-alkanes from C13 to C36, pristane and phytane, were in the range of 0.60–39.92 μg/g, with a median value of 1.97 μg/g. No correlation between soil organic matter content or the percentage of clay and the concentrations was found. Carbon preference index (CPI) values for the whole range of n-alkanes varied between 0.73 and 4.27, with a median value of 1.64, and a contour map of CPI was drawn. A predominance of odd/even carbon n-alkanes and unresolved complex mixtures with different shapes and range were frequently observed. Factor analysis reduced the data set to two principal components explaining 82.82% of the total variation among samples and confirming contributions from low molecular weight species (63.66%) and long-chain n-alkanes (19.27%), respectively. Based on the principal component analysis, the concentration profiles and molecular markers, it was concluded that the aliphatic hydrocarbons were from both biogenic and anthropogenic sources.