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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants. Due to their low water solubility and high hydrophobicity, PAHs are rapidly sorbed onto particles and subsequently deposit in sediments once introduced into aquatic environment. In such a way, sediments become a huge sink for PAHs. During sediment resuspension, the potential exists for PAHs to be released from sediments into water. Sediment resuspension plays an important role in the transportation and fate of PAH5 in the aquatic environment. In this study, release behavior of PAHs on Yangtze River sediment during resuspension was investigated using a particle entrainment simulator (PES). The role of resuspension duration on release of 16 PAHs was measured by resuspending sediment for 12 h at 0.2 and 0.5 N/m2, respectively. Results indicated that PAH concentrations in TSS increase over time with more increase of phenanthrene and 4-ring PAHs. Comparing with 0.2 N/m2 (30%), ΣPAHs concentrations in TSS demonstrated remarkable increase during 0.5 N/m2 resuspension (37%). Dissolved PAH concentrations increased throughout the duration with more increase of 2-3 ring PAH5 (50% -88%). Dissolved PAH concentrations showed remarkable increase during 0.5 N/m2 resuspension (50%). Moreover, PAH concentrations in overlying water throughout the duration of resuspension were higher than toxic effects threshold values in drinking water developed by WHO, which may cause toxic effect on ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particle size is a significant parameter which determines the environmental fate and the behavior of dust particles and, implicitly, the exposure risk of humans to particle-bound contaminants. Currently, the influence of dust particle size on the occurrence and seasonal variation of hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) remains unclear. While HBCDs are now restricted by the Stockholm Convention, information regarding HBCD contamination in indoor dust in China is still limited. We analyzed composite dust samples from offices (n = 22), hotels (n = 3), kindergartens (n = 2), dormitories (n = 40), and main roads (n = 10). Each composite dust sample (one per type of microenvironment) was fractionated into 9 fractions (F1-F9: 2000-900, 900-500, 500-400, 400-300, 300-200, 200-100, 100-74, 74-50, and <50 μm). Total HBCD concentrations ranged from 5.3 (road dust, F4) to 2580 ng g-1 (dormitory dust, F4) in the 45 size-segregated samples. The seasonality of HBCDs in indoor dust was investigated in 40 samples from two offices. A consistent seasonal trend of HBCD levels was evident with dust collected in the winter being more contaminated with HBCDs than dust from the summer. Particle size-selection strategy for dust analysis has been found to be influential on the HBCD concentrations, while overestimation or underestimation would occur with improper strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]