Fluxes of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Environment

A. N. Gennadiev Faculty of Geography, Moscow State University, Vorob'evy gory, 119899, Moscow, Russia

gennad @ geodean.geogr.msu.su

T. A. Alexeeva Faculty of Geography, Moscow State University, Vorob'evy gory, 119899, Moscow, Russia

Yu. I. Pikovsky Faculty of Geography, Moscow State University, Vorob'evy gory, 119899, Moscow, Russia

The fluxes of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in the environment are both natural and anthropogenic. The
anthropogenic flows influence on the environment mainly "from above" by atmosphere transfer of technogenic products. The nature flows influence on environment "from below" by uplift of the toxic compounds from the deep parts of the earth crust. The accumulation of PAH in earth surface connected with global processes is forerunner of hazardous changes in biosphere. For example as a result such changes were both mass loss of the fishes in sea ecosystems (in the geological past) and increase fall ills among population.

There are effective methods of diagnostic of individual PAH in environment (Spolsky spectroscopy, liquid chromatography). PAH presence in all mixes environmental organic compounds wich has been heat treated. They are markers of anthropogenic flows on the one hand, and deep endogenous crust flows on the another. Moreover PAH are carcinogenic and mutagenic substances which can alter gene and are, thus, cancer-causing factors.

The fluxes of anthropogenic PAH studied in air, soils, sediments and waters at biosphere reservations in Russia and Europe. A concentration pool of PAH is different: maximum accumulation PAH have mostly urban territories. There is a mechanism of destruction PAH in environment decreasing concentration toxic PAH. We studied indicators of this mechanism in the soils in certain regions.

The fluxes and generation of PAH from Earth's deep zones are studied in World Ocean sediments and regions having active volcanism. The sediments in active spreding zone and faults of Pacific Ring have PAH quantitatively and qualitively differ from those in stabile regions of ocean. One glowing example of generation PAH is submarine hydrothermal processes in Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California. The ecologically dangerous concentration of the "hydrothermal oil" and PAH at the sediments occur in most active zones of the Gulf.

References

Gennadiev, A.N., Shurubor E.I. & Kozin I.S., Biol. Sci. 1 (337), 133-143 (1992).

Pikovsky, Yu. I., Natural and technogenic flows of hydrocarbons in the environment. Moscow, 208 pp. (1993).

Rovinsky, F.Ya., Teplitskaya, T.A. & Alexeeva. Y.A., The background monitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Leningrad, 224 pp. (1988).