The commercial management of coal and its by-products has the potential to negatively impact natural coastal environments. The coal conversion processes and coke production are sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emissions that also contribute to the pollution of those aquatic environments. This research assesses the contamination by carbonaceous anthropogenic particles and by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of some recreational sites (Arañón, Peña del Caballo and San Balandrán area) located in the Avilés' estuary, an area in Northern Spain that has been heavily industrialized since the 1950s. The results obtained indicate a low concentration of solid organic anthropogenic particles in the intertidal sediments of the recreational sites in the estuary, probably due to the protective measures set in place at the facilities managing bulk coal and coke, which prevents the dispersion of coal dust (and other materials) as well as the eventual failure into the estuary. The characteristics of 16 priority pollutants PAHs analyzed in two recreational sites of the estuary (San Balandrán area), their distribution by aromatic ring number together with their diagnostic ratios demonstrate a pyrogenic nature with a main source from processes of coal and coke conversion (including combustion) in the facilities around the estuary. Some contribution of PAHs derived from petroleum cannot be ruled out. This contamination by PAHS is constant and sustained over time. The majority of the considered PAHs are well above the Spanish Generic Reference Level, (GRL) established for “”, and only a few of them are notably above the corresponding Spanish GRL established for “”, which should include lands for recreational activities. The analysis of the potential toxicity risk of PAHs for human health and the organisms of the aquatic ecosystem suggests a relatively low toxicity risk to very high toxicity risk in the San Balandrán environment according to the concentration and distribution trend of PAHs identified in this area. This trend is dependent on the coastal dynamics and the protection level of the site, which also affect the distribution of the anthropogenic carbonaceous particulates in the same way.

中文翻译：

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西班牙北部高度工业化河口休闲区碳质人为颗粒物和多环芳烃 (PAH) 浓度污染评估


煤炭及其副产品的商业管理有可能对自然沿海环境产生负面影响。煤炭转化过程和焦炭生产是多环芳烃 (PAH) 排放的来源，这也导致了水生环境的污染。本研究评估了位于阿维莱斯河口的一些娱乐场所（阿拉尼翁、佩尼亚德尔卡瓦洛和圣巴兰德朗地区）的碳质人为颗粒和多环芳烃污染，阿维莱斯河口是西班牙北部的一个地区，自 20 世纪 50 年代以来一直高度工业化。获得的结果表明，河口休闲场所的潮间带沉积物中固体有机人为颗粒浓度较低，这可能是由于管理散装煤炭和焦炭的设施采取了保护措施，防止了煤尘的扩散。和其他材料）以及最终未能进入河口。在河口（San Balandrán 地区）的两个休闲场所分析的 16 种重点污染物 PAH 的特征、它们按芳环数的分布及其诊断比率表明其具有热原性质，其主要来源来自煤炭和焦炭转化过程（包括燃烧） ）在河口周围的设施中。不能排除来自石油的多环芳烃的某些贡献。 PAHS 的这种污染会随着时间的推移而持续存在。大多数考虑的多环芳烃远高于为“”制定的西班牙通用参考水平（GRL），其中只有少数明显高于为“”制定的相应西班牙GRL，其中应包括用于娱乐活动的土地。 对多环芳烃对人类健康和水生生态系统生物的潜在毒性风险的分析表明，根据该地区确定的多环芳烃的浓度和分布趋势，圣巴兰德兰环境中的毒性风险相对较低到非常高的毒性风险。这种趋势取决于沿海动态和地点的保护水平，这也以同样的方式影响人为碳质颗粒的分布。