Funaria hygrometrica moss as Bio-indicator of Atmospheric Pollution of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Makurdi-Nigeria: Occurrence and Sources

Abstract

The sixteen (16) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), compounds listed by the US EPA for priority attention were quantitated in moss samples in the study area to ascertain atmospheric pollution levels of these compounds. PAHs compounds in the digested samples were identified and quantitated by the gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) technique using column injector in splitless mode. In many of the samples the machine returned Nd, revealing low levels of PAHs contamination in the area. Concentrations of PAHs in the samples ranged from, not detected (Nd) to 7.89 ng/g. Naphthalene, a two-ring PAH showed the most dominance, occurring in 12 of the 15 samples, while benzo[a,h]anthracene, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene and benzo[ghi]perylene were not detected in any of the samples. Ankpa and Gaadi recorded 0.00 ng/g total PAHs concentration/site, while sample from Modern Market showed highest total PAHs concentration of 11.54 ng/g. Application of molecular ratios in source identification revealed that the PAHs fluxes in the samples derived from both pyrogenic and petrogenic origins.