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Account

Table 11 Total concentrations of PAHs in soils (μg g dry wt.) in urban areas and in the vicinity of human (industrial) activities (after Bakker et al. 2000)

From: Monitoring of environmental exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: a review

Location

Number of PAHS

Soil depth (cm)

∑PAH concentration in soil (μg g dry wt.)

Reference

Highway (CAN)

17

Surface

1.4

Wang and Meresz (1982)

Motorway (UK)

7

0–4

20 at 1 m

4–8 at 600 m

Butler et al. (1984)

Highway (USA)

14

0–5

3

Yang et al. (1991)

Urban (JAP)

8

0–3

1.3 ± 0.8

Spitzer and Kuwatsuka (1993)

Chemical plant (AUS)

18

0–5

0.3–79

Weiss et al. (1994)

Urban (CH)

16

0–20

11–12

Niederer et al. (1995)

Al plant (SK)

17

Surfacea

40–200

Wickle et al. (1996)

Urban (UK)

16

0–10

2.7 ± 0.5

Meharge et al. (1998)

Polyprop. fire (UK)

16

0–10

12–18

Meharge et al. (1998)

  1. aOrganic surface layer