Abstract: 17 representative soil samples and 1 coal slack sample were collected in the surroundings of Luling Coal Mine in Huaibei Province, China. The concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the collected samples were detemined by gas chromatography equipped with a mass spectrometry detector (GC-MS). The distribution and transportation behavior of PAHs were analyzed and the environmental impact of the PAHs in the soil of the coal mine was further evaluated. The results showed that the concentrations of 28 PAHs in the collected soil samples ranged from 035 to 621 μg/g, with an average concentration of 169 μg/g, among which 16 PAHs are USEPA priority PAHs. The total contents of these 16 PAHs ranged from 023 to 353 μg/g, with the average contents being 100 μg/g. Compared with the relevant standards of organic pollutants in the soil, these typical regions were moderately or highly polluted according to the concentrations of ∑16PAHs. It was further discovered that the sources of PAHs were gob piles and combustion of biomass. A toxicity assessment indicates that the environmental risks for PAHs are mainly BghiP whoseTEQ accounts for 6068% of the total value.

Key words: Luling Coal Mine, soil, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), sources