Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in cryogenic peat plateaus of northeastern Europe

Abstract

The qualitative and quantitative composition of 14 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in peat plateaus at the southern boundary of the permafrost zone in northeastern Europe, where degradation of permafrost occurs because of climate warming, has been studied by high-performance liquid chromatography in gradient mode. PAH concentrations vary from 150 to 3700 ng/g with their average content of about 1500 ± 1000 ng/g. The variation of data is primarily due to the large contribution of heavy PAHs.