This study was performed to elucidate the distribution, concentration trend and possible source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface water and bed sediments of the Hungarian upper section of the Danube River and the Moson Danube branch. A total of 217 samples (water and sediments) were collected from four different sampling sites in the period of 2001-2010 and analysed for the 16 priority US Environmental Protection Agency PAHs. Concentrations of total 16 PAHs (ΣPAHs) in water samples ranged from 25 to 1,208 ng/L, which were predominated by two- and three-ring PAHs. The ΣPAH concentrations in sediments ranged from 8.3 to 1,202.5 ng/g dry weight. Four-ring PAHs including fluoranthene and pyrene were the dominant species in sediment samples. A selected number of concentration ratios of specific PAH compounds were calculated to evaluate the possible sources of PAH contamination. The ratios reflected a pattern of pyrogenic input as a major source of PAHs. The levels of PAHs determined were compared with other sections of the Danube and other regions of the world. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

The aim of this paper is to investigate the concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface water of the Hungarian upper section of the Danube River in the period of 2007-2010. A total of 77 water samples were collected from the sampling sites located at Rajka, Medve and Komarom (1848, 1806 and 1766 river km) under the authority of the Inspectorate for Environment, Nature and Water of the North Transdanubian Region designated by the Hungarian National Monitoring Programme. Sixteen PAHs identified by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) as priority pollutants were monitored. Concentrations of total 16 PAHs (PAHs) ranged from 25 to 357 ng·L^-1 with the mean value of 98.27± 58.48 ng·L^-1. The low and medium molecular weight PAHs (2-3 and 4 ring) ranged from below method detection limit (<1) to 136 ng·L^-1 while high molecular weight PAHs (5-6 ring) were present at much lower concentrations (<1-25 ng·L^-1). The 2-3-ring PAHs contributed to about 64% while 4-6-ring PAHs accounted for 36% of the PAHs. The dominant species are naphthalene and phenanthrene in the surface water. Concentration ratios of specific PAH compounds including anthracene/(anthracene+phenanthrene) and fluoranthene/(fluoranthene+pyrene) were calculated to evaluate the possible sources of PAH contamination. The levels of PAHs determined in our study were compared with other sections of the Danube and other regions of the world. © 2012, Versita. All rights reserved.