Identification and Quantification of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Soil from the Vinča Landfill (Serbia)

Vinča landfill, the biggest sanitary landfill in Serbia, causes many environmental implications. The investigation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is of main importance due to the frequent landfill burning. In this study, eight soil samples (<630µm) from Vinča landfill were analysed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to determine the PAH concentrations in the soil. The PAH concentrations varied significantly across the samples, reflecting the differences in their respective environments. The range of PAH concentrations is 3.09E-05 ̶ 2.15E-02 mg/kg. All 16 PAHs were identified in the samples, although naphthalene, acenaphthene, and fluorene were detected only in trace amounts. The plot of Ant/(Ant + Ph) versus Flu/(Flu + Py) ratios indicated that the PAHs mostly originate from petrogenic sources as well as biomass and coal combustion.