Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) diagnostic ratios have recently come into common use as a toolfor identifying and assessing pollution emission sources. Some diagnostic ratios are based on parentPAHs, others on the proportions of alkyl-substituted to non-substituted molecules. The ratios areapplicable to PAHs determined in different environmental media: air (gas þ particle phase), water,sediment, soil, as well as biomonitor...

The paper summarizes the potential of application of parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to identify their emission sources. Four parent PAHs diagnostic ratios are used for this purpose: anthracene/(anthracene + phenanthrene), fluoranthene/(fluoranthene + pyrene), benzo[a]pyrene/(benzo[a]pyrene + chryzene) and indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene/(indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene + benzo[g,h,i]perylene). The compounds of each ratio have the...

In view of the specific properties of mercury and its capability of forming compounds that can be bioaccumulated and biomagnified at successive levels of the trophic pyramid, it has become necessary to gather detailed information on the sources of emission of this element into the environment and its fate there. Moreover, the increasing awareness of the relationship between the toxicity of mercury and its chemical form has sharpened...