Ecological and health risk assessment of PAHs, OCPs, and PCBs in Taihu Lake basin

With rapid economic, agricultural, and industrial development in the Taihu Lake basin, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have become a major concern in recent years and hence a focus of research. Our study performed characteristic analysis, source analysis, and ecological and health risk assessment for three kinds of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) − polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the Taihu Lake basin. Using measured data from the centralized source of drinking water in the basin as well as historical data, we analyzed the characteristics and sources of the three POPs. Then the ecological risks of PAHs, OCPs, and PCBs were assessed according to the environmental quality standards in sediment of USEPA, and the health risks were assessed with the exposure assessment method. The results show that for centralized drinking water source of Taihu Lake basin: the sampled products were detected in 11 kinds of PAHs, which ranged from nd to 280 ng/g and are at low ecological and health risks level. OCPs in surface sediments are mainly from soil and may have new benzex sources and have low ecological and health risks. PCBs are mainly from pollution from factories and are at low ecological and health risks level. Results of this study can provide a reference for drinking water management of the lake.