CONCENTRATION ASSESSMENT AND SOURCE EVALUATION OF 16 PRIORITY POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS IN SELECTED VEHICLE-PARKS SOILS IN SOUTHERN NIGERIA

Abstract The objectives of this study are to determine the concentrations and evaluate the sources of 16-priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils from selected vehicle-parks in southern Nigeria. The collection of soil samples was by soil auger from three sites at top (0–15 cm) and sub (15–30 cm) soil levels. Some soil physicochemical parameters were determined. Gas chromatography equipped with flame ionization detector (GC-FID was used to determine the concentrations of PAHs. The wet season concentrations of ∑16 PAHs range from 365.8 to 1065.8 µg/kg and 142.9 to 5321.9 µg/kg for top and sub soils, respectively, while the dry season concentrations of the ∑16 PAHs range from 66.4 to 269.3 µg/kg and 212.1 to 1342.5 µg/kg for top and sub soils, respectively. There was significant seasonal variation (p