Snow Cover as a Medium for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Deposition and a Measure of Atmospheric Pollution in Carpathian Village–Study Case of Zawoja, Poland
Source abstract
Abstract
Snow cover constitutes a medium that can be used as a way of assessing air pollution. The chemical composition of snow layers from the same snowfall event reflects the composition of atmospheric aerosols and dry precipitates, depending on the properties of the adsorbing surface and prevailing weather conditions. Analyzing snow samples provides reliable insights into anthropogenic pollution accumulated in soil and groundwater of different land use type areas, as well as allows the evaluation of the degree and sources of environmental pollution. The aim of the research was to determine the distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in various sites of Zawoja village and identify their possible sources and factors influencing their differentiation. A total of 15 surface snow samples of the same thickness and snowfall origin were collected from different locations in the village in the winter of 2024. The samples were pre-concentrated by solid phase extraction and analyzed by gas chromatography—tandem mass spectrometry. The sampling set was invented, and the extraction procedure and analysis parameters were optimized. A spatial distribution map of PAHs was created. The contamination of ∑16PAHs varied from 710 to 2310 ng/L in melted snow with the highest concentrations detected in Zawoja Markowa by the border of the Babia Góra National Park, which is interpreted mainly as a result of the topographical setting. Medium molecular weight PAHs were the dominant fraction, which, combined with specific PAH ratios, indicate the combustion of biomass and coal as the main source of contamination.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Integrated Water Resources Management · Botany and Plant Ecology Studies · Engine and Fuel Emissions
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Energy, Cracow University of Technology, Warszawska 24, 31-155 Cracow, Poland
Doctoral School, Cracow University of Technology, Warszawska 24, 31-155 Cracow, Poland
Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Cracow University of Technology, Warszawska 24, 31-155 Cracow, Poland
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