TITLE:
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Water: A Review of the Sources, Properties, Exposure Pathways, Bionetwork and Strategies for Remediation
AUTHORS:
I. O. Alaekwe, O. Abba
KEYWORDS:
Aromatic Hydrocarbon, Bionetwork, Remediation, Compressed Natural Gas, Environmental Protection
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.10 No.8,
August
29,
2022
ABSTRACT: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are
by-products arising from incomplete combustion. These organic chemicals
substances are found almost everywhere and pose a risk to human health because
of their potentially hazardous nature and bioavailability in the environment as
determined by several regulatory agencies such as US Environmental Protection
Agency (US-EPA), US Department of Health and Human
Services (DHHS), International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the
National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). The
paper is aimed at studying polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water. The
possible sources, chemistry, risk and remediation strategies for polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons in water have been considered. Studies have shown that
exposure to PAHs at levels above the maximum contaminant level for relatively
short periods will cause damage to the red blood cells leading to anaemia;
suppressed immune system. Long-term exposure to Benzo(a)pyrene at levels above
the maximum contaminant level has the
potential to cause developmental and reproductive defects as well as cancer.
US-EPA, IARC and DHHS has sets a maximum contaminant level
(MCL) for benzo(a)pyrene, the most carcinogenic PAH, at 0.0002 mg/L, 0.0001 mg/L
for benz(a)anthracene, 0.0002 mg/L
for benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, and chrysene. 0.0003 mg/L and 0.0004 mg/L have been set
for dibenz(a,h)anthracene and indeno (1,2,3-c,d)pyrene
respectively. Sustained barn on smoking in public places and burning of
word, use of concretes in road construction as against the traditional surfacing
of roads using coal tar as well as cars running on compressed natural gas (CNG)
or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) can form part of the preventive strategies.