Formation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Northern and Middle Taiga Soils

An integrated study of the qualitative and quantitative composition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the atmospheric precipitation-soil-lysimetric water system was performed using high performance liquid chromatography. It was shown that the accumulation of low-molecular PAHs (phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benz[ a] anthracene, and chrysene) in soils is due to the transformation of organic matter and the regional transport and deposition of PAHs with atmospheric precipitation on the underlying surface. High-molecular polyarenes (benz[b]fluoranthene, benz[k]fluoranthene, benz[a] pyrene, dibenz[a,h] anthracene, benzo[ghi]perylene, and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene) mainly result from the decomposition of soil organic matter.