Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water-sediment systems of lake Taihu and its connected rivers: spatio-temporal variations, source apportionment, and ecological and human health risks
Liqiang Xie
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pose significant environmental and health risks in freshwater ecosystems. However, understanding their spatio-temporal dynamics in integrated lake-river systems, particularly with year-round seasonal coverage, remains limited. This study addresses this gap by employing seasonal sampling across all four-quarters (2018–2019), Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) source apportionment, and risk assessment frameworks to elucidate PAH distribution, composition, s