Estimation of uncertainty in the sampling and analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from contaminated soil in Brighton, UK

Zhou, JL; Siddiqui, E; Ngo, HH; Guo, W

Estimation of uncertainty in the sampling and analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from contaminated soil in Brighton, UK

Zhou, JL

Siddiqui, E Ngo, HH

Guo, W

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Science of the Total Environment, 2014, 497-498 pp. 163 - 171
Issue Date:: 2014-11-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Zhou, JL https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1393-1608	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Siddiqui, E	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Ngo, HH https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0296-2866	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Guo, W https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5542-2858	en_US
dc.date.available	2014-07-24	en_US
dc.date.issued	2014-11-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Science of the Total Environment, 2014, 497-498 pp. 163 - 171	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0048-9697	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/33345
dc.description.abstract	© 2014 Elsevier B.V. The heterogeneity of environmental samples is increasingly recognised, yet rarely examined in organic contamination investigations. In this study soil samples from an ex-landfill site in Brighton, UK were analysed for polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination by using a balanced sampling protocol. The analytical technique of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was found to be fit for purpose by the use of duplicate samples and the statistical analysis of variances, as well as of certified reference materials. The sampling uncertainty was found to significantly overweigh the analytical uncertainty, by a factor of 3 and 6 for PCBs and PAHs, respectively. The soil samples showed a general trend of PCB concentration that was under the recommended target level of 20. ng/g dry weight. It is possible that one site alongside the main road may exceed the 20. ng/g target level, after taking into consideration the overall measurement uncertainty (70.8%). The PAH contamination was more severe, with seven sites potentially exceeding the effect-range medium concentrations. The soil samples with relatively high PCB and PAH concentrations were all taken from the grass verge, which also had the highest soil organic carbon content. The measurement uncertainty which was largely due to sampling can be reduced by sampling at a high resolution spacing of 17. m, which is recommended in future field investigations of soil organic contamination.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Science of the Total Environment	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.07.097	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Environmental Sciences	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Polychlorinated Biphenyls	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Environmental Monitoring	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Environmental Pollution	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Soil	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Soil Pollutants	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Uncertainty	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	United Kingdom	en_US
dc.title	Estimation of uncertainty in the sampling and analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from contaminated soil in Brighton, UK	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	497-498	en_US
utslib.for	0503 Soil Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	090703 Environmental Technologies	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CTWW - Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater Treatment
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	497-498	en_US

Abstract:

© 2014 Elsevier B.V. The heterogeneity of environmental samples is increasingly recognised, yet rarely examined in organic contamination investigations. In this study soil samples from an ex-landfill site in Brighton, UK were analysed for polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination by using a balanced sampling protocol. The analytical technique of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was found to be fit for purpose by the use of duplicate samples and the statistical analysis of variances, as well as of certified reference materials. The sampling uncertainty was found to significantly overweigh the analytical uncertainty, by a factor of 3 and 6 for PCBs and PAHs, respectively. The soil samples showed a general trend of PCB concentration that was under the recommended target level of 20. ng/g dry weight. It is possible that one site alongside the main road may exceed the 20. ng/g target level, after taking into consideration the overall measurement uncertainty (70.8%). The PAH contamination was more severe, with seven sites potentially exceeding the effect-range medium concentrations. The soil samples with relatively high PCB and PAH concentrations were all taken from the grass verge, which also had the highest soil organic carbon content. The measurement uncertainty which was largely due to sampling can be reduced by sampling at a high resolution spacing of 17. m, which is recommended in future field investigations of soil organic contamination.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/33345