Changes the Concentration of Selected Pahs in Urban Soils Fertilized with Municipal Sewage Sludge

The aim of this study was to analyze changes in the content of selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban soils fertilized with municipal sewage sludge. The factors in the experiment were three lawns along the main roads in Bialystok (in Popieluszki, Hetmanska and Raginisa Strs.), doses of sewage sludge (0 – control; 75 and 150 Mg/ha) and two years of study (2011 and 2012). The studied parameters were monitored at the end of the growing season (in October 2011 and 2012) by determining fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene, and benzo[a]pyrene in soil samples. Furthermore, the dehydrogenase activity, the pH and organic carbon content of the soil were determined. Obtained content of studied PAHs in the urban soil does not exceed those contained in the Regulation of the Minister of the Environment of September 9th, 2002 on soil quality standards and ground quality standards. The concentration of pyrene and chrysene differed significantly depending on the time of sampling and the localization. It has been shown that fertilization of soil sewage sludge revealed reduction of pyrene concentration in soil. Among 5 tested PAHs compounds, benzo[a]pyrene was the most dominant compound both in samples collected in 2011 and 2012 (28 and 27% respectively).