Presence of Priority Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Chromium, Copper and Lead in Two selected Brownfield Sites in United Kingdom

Abstract

In recent years, concerns about adverse effects of increasing land contamination paralleled with the increasing demand for land has emphasized need for sustainable remediation strategies. Soil samples were collected from two brownfield sites, in Saltley, Birmingham and Swansea, South Wales, United Kingdom and analysed to establish the extent of contamination by priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds. Saltley site had a total PAH concentration of 41.0 mg kg^-1 with high concentrations of phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene and benzo[a]pyrene, total benzo[a]pyrene equivalent value of 6.0 mg kg^-1 and total carcinogenic PAH of 19.0 mg kg^-1. At the Swansea site, total PAH concentration ranged from 5.0 – 85.0 mg kg-1 with pyrene, fluoranthene, benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[a]pyrene as the predominant PAHs, total benzo[a]pyrene equivalent value of 0.9 – 2.0 mg kg^-1 and total carcinogenic PAH concentration of 2.6 – 11.0 mg kg^-1. Heavy metal concentrations were above the ambient background concentrations for urban/industrial area. Both brownfield sites had a mixture of PAH and heavy metal contamination in varying concentrations with implication for the selection of efficient remedial strategies to enable their redevelopment.