Identification of the sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on molecular and isotopic characterization from the Yangtze estuarine and nearby coastal areas
China ; Coastal environment ; Estuary ; Geochemistry ; Human impact ; Hydrocarbon ; Pollution ; Principal components analysis ; Yangtze
Samples of suspended particulate matters (SPMs), surface sediment and road dust were collected from the Yangtze estuarine and nearby coastal areas, coastal rivers, and central Shanghai. The samples were analyzed for the presence of 16 polycyclic
. Principal component analysis (PCA) integrated with molecular mass indices indicated that gasoline, diesel, coal and wood combustion and petroleum-derived residues were the main sources of PAHs in the Yangtze Estuary.