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.; Jones, Matthew D.; Thomas, Russell; Kim, Alexander W.; Taylor, Christopher; Beriro, Darren J.

Abstract

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, from observing petrogenic signatures, with increased low molecular weight PAHs. Processes using lower temperature processes were distinguished by higher proportions of higher molecular weight PAHs. RE parameters alone were unable to distinguish MGP processes but showed potential in estimating the degree of PAH release from soils based on the diversity of different RE parameter results. More generally, our research findings could be useful in understanding and characterising the risks posed to human health from PAHs in soils.

Citation

Williams-Clayson, A. M., Vane, C. H., Jones, M. D., Thomas, R., Kim, A. W., Taylor, C., & Beriro, D. J. (2023). Characterisation of former manufactured gas plant soils using parent and alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and Rock-Eval(6) pyrolysis. Environmental Pollution, 339, Article 122658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122658

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 28, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Sep 28, 2023
• Publication Date: Dec 15, 2023
• Deposit Date: Oct 2, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 30, 2023
• Journal: Environmental Pollution
• Electronic ISSN: 0269-7491
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 339
• Article Number: 122658
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122658
• Keywords: Gasworks, contamination, PAH, GC-MS/MS, Rock-Eval
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/25649630
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749123016603?via%3Dihub