Street dusts collected from 20 locations in the Chang-Zhu-Tan (Changsha, Zhuzhou, and Xiangtan) region, Hunan, China, in May to July 2006, were investigated for sources of polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The individual PAH concentrations were in the range of 10-4316 ng g(-1), and ∑PAHs(16) levels were in the range of 3,515-24,488 ng g(-1), with a mean of 8,760 ng g(-1). The high-molecular-weight PAHs (four to six rings), ranging from 47.51 to 82.11 %, with a mean of 74.79 %, were the dominant PAH compounds in almost all of the dusts. The isomer ratios suggested a rather uniform mixture of coal combustion and petroleum PAH sources. Factor analysis and multiple linear regression analysis indicate that the main sources of the 16 PAHs were coal combustion/vehicle exhaust, coking/petroleum, and plant combustion, with contribution rates of 50.9, 35.01, and 14.08, respectively. The spatial distributions of PAH concentrations were significantly related to the distribution of industries, traffic circulation, and farmland in this region.

Street dusts collected from 20 sites as well as three special dust samples collected from chimney of coal-fired plant, smelter and refinery of nonferrous metals and automobile exhaust, respectively, in the Chang-Zhu-Tan (Changsha, Zhuzhou and Xiangtan) urban region, Hunan, China, in May to August 2009, were investigated for sources of polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The ΣPAHs16 levels were in the range of 3515 - 24488 ng/g, with a mean of 8760 ng/g. The sources of PAH inputs to street dusts were determined by isomer ratios, principal components analysis and REE geochemical analysis. The isomer ratios suggested a rather uniform mixture of coal combustion and petroleum PAH sources. Factor analysis indicated that the main sources of 16 PAHs were coal combustion/vehicle exhaust and coking/ petroleum. Rare earth elements (REE) and Factor score analysis further indicated the possible dust sources were from background soil, coal or coking combustion, nonferrous metal factories, traffic exhaust