Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon dynamics in soils along proglacial chronosequences in the Alps

Lise Marchal (1) , David Gateuille (1) , Emmanuel Naffrechoux (1) , Philip Deline (1) , François Baudin (2) , Jean-Christophe Clément (3) , Jérôme Poulenard (1)

1 EDYTEM - Environnements, Dynamiques et Territoires de Montagne
2 iSTeP - Institut des Sciences de la Terre de Paris
3 CARRTEL - Centre Alpin de Recherche sur les Réseaux Trophiques et Ecosystèmes Limniques

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were studied in the soils of three proglacial areas in France (Noir and Chardon Glaciers) and Italy (Miage Glacier). PAH contents, PAH stocks and PAH contents normalized to the total organic carbon contents (PAHs/TOC ratio) were investigated along proglacial soil chronosequences to infer their evolutions with soil age (from 3 to 4200 years), where the PAH contamination was only related to long-range atmospheric transport. Evolutions of PAH and TOC contents, PAHs/TOC ratio and PAH stock were fitted with exponential and logarithmic relations. For the three proglacial areas, PAH contents increased rapidly during the first 150 years of soil development, ranged from 4 to 152 ng center dot g(-1), and showed a strong relationship with total organic carbon (TOC) contents (r = 0.83, p < 0.05). The joint increase of PAH and TOC contents suggested that PAH accumulation in soils were not only driven by PAH inputs but also by the capacity of soils to store these contaminants. PAH contents in the oldest soils (from 1200 BCE and 2200 BCE) were similar than for soils from 1850 CE. The period 1850-2019 CE corresponded to a decrease in the PAHs/TOC ratio suggesting both a faster accumulation of TOC than PAHs and a dilution effect of PAHs already present in soils. For the oldest soils, the PAHs/TOC ratio appeared similar to those for soils from 1850 CE, with values ranging from 0.48 to 2.06 ng center dot mg(-1), suggesting an equilibrium between both parameters for soils older than 170 years. Finally, PAH stocks ranged from 0.41 mg center dot m(-2) to 6.80 mg center dot m(-2) in the youngest and oldest soils, respectively. These results do not allow us to identify the same period of greatest emission as other studies (estimated similar to 1960), but they revealed changes in the capacity of soils to store these pollutants.

Mots clés: PAHs; Soil formation; Glacier forelands; Soil organic matter; Mountain soils

Domaines: Sciences de la Terre

Lise Marchal, David Gateuille, Emmanuel Naffrechoux, Philip Deline, François Baudin, et al.. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon dynamics in soils along proglacial chronosequences in the Alps. Science of the Total Environment, 2023, 902, pp.165998. ⟨10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165998⟩. ⟨hal-04193510⟩