Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Contamination of Soil in an Industrial Zone and Evaluation of Pollution Sources

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.