Using the end-member mixing approach to apportion sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in various environmental compartments

The contributions of multiple sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to various environmental compartments in town of Shelekhov, Eastern Siberia, were calculated using end-member mixing approach. In all compartments twelve PAHs were analyzed, including indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene, benzo[g,h,i]perylene, benzo[e]pyrene, benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, chrysene, benzo[a]anthracene, pyrene, fluoranthene, anthracene, and phenanthrene. The results of principal component analysis (PCA) obtained for snowpack, soil, and bottom sediments indicated that the eight heavier PAHs explain more variability than twelve PAHs. The highest proportion of variability in the PAH composition of the riverine water was explained by all twelve measured PAHs. The PCA results also showed that the number of PAH sources for snowpack, soil, riverine water, and bottom sediments is equal to 3, 3, 2, and 3, correspondingly. Aluminum smelter, oil-fired boilers, and residential wood combustion are end-member sources of PAH for snowpack, riverine water and sediments, whereas a spreader stocker and residential coal combustion are auxiliary sources. The most important contributors to soil PAHs were oil-fired boilers and grass fires.