ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Contamination
of Soil in an Industrial Zone and Evaluation
of Pollution Sources
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1
PSRI Institute for Protection and Ecology of the Republic of Srpska, Vidovdanska 43, Banja Luka,
Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
2
City of Banja Luka, Trg Srpskih Vladara 1, Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
3
Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad-38040, Pakistan
Submission date: 2020-01-09
Final revision date: 2020-03-14
Acceptance date: 2020-03-16
Online publication date: 2020-07-17
Publication date: 2020-10-05
Corresponding author
Predrag Ilić
PSRI Institute for Protection and Ecology of the Republic of Srpska, Banja Luka, Vidovdanska 43, 78000, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2021;30(1):155-162
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ABSTRACT
The levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in the industrial
zone, near the center of Banja Luka and river Vrbas, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In the presented research, the total concentration of the PAHs in research area ranged from 0.356 to
11.49 mg/kg, with mean values of 1.99 mg/kg indicated that soil was heavily contaminated (max limit
1 mg/kg) and polluted with pollutant of class III ranging from 1 to 5 mg/kg. The possible sources of
PAHs in the soils were estimated by using diagnostic ratios (LMW/HMW (low/high molecular weights),
Fluo/(Fluo+Pyr) (fluoranthene/(fluoranthene+pyrene)), BaA/(BaA+Chr) (benzo[a]anthracene/(benzo[a]
anthracene+chrysene)) and IcdP/(IcdP+BghiP) (indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene/(indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene +
benzo[g,h,i]perylene))) and factor analysis (principal component analysis). The ratios showed that the
PAHs in soil have both pyrogenic and petrogenic sources. Pyrogenic source is predominant. Petrogenic
sources also have a significant contribution in the study area. Principal component analysis has shown
that both industrial and human activities are the cause of pollution. The first factor is in relation to burning
(pyrogenic origin). This factor explained 76.72% of total variance. The second factor is petrogenic, with
7.81% of total variance. PAHs in research area is a result of in general anthropogenic factors.