Study of the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Content in Gas Released From Burning Mine Waste Dump

Burning mine waste dumps release gases of significant content of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The main objective of the study was to determine the PAHs concentrations in gas sampled from the burning mine waste dump located in Ruda Slaska, Upper Silesia, Poland (N 50 degrees 16' 46.2''; E 18 degrees 51' 02.4''). Determination of the level of PAHs content in gas released from burning mine waste dumps is essential for an assessment of its potential environmental risk to human health and the environment. Gas sampling was conducted in 2011 using fixed sorbent type polyurethane foam with a quartz fiber filter and the aspirator. Burning zones were selected based on the assessment of a thermal activity, i.e., measurements of surface and subsurface (at the depth of 1 m) temperatures and determination of the composition of gas at the depth of 1 m (CO2, CO and O-2 content). The techniques of pressure-liquid extraction and liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a fluorescence detector (FLD) were applied in the analyses of the samples. The Hierarchical Clustering Analysis enabled to explore the differences between the gaseous samples collected in five burning zones. The average total sum of PAHs content was 2.22 mg/m(3). Naphthalene, fluorene and phenanthrene were the main components detected in gas samples, which is associated with their high volatility, when compared to other PAHs compounds. The heaviest PAHs (benzo[a] anthracene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a] pyrene, dibenzo[a, h]anthracene, benzo[g, h, i]perylene and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene) in all tested samples were not detected which may be attributed to decreasing evaporation with increasing molecular mass.