Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in remote lakes from the Tibetan Plateau: Concentrations, source, ecological risk, and influencing factors

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have received worldwide attention due to their potential teratogenic, persistent, and carcinogenic characteristics. In this study, the PAHs concentrations in two dated sediment cores taken from central Tibetan Plateau (TP) were analyzed to study the deposition history, potential sources, ecological risks, and influencing factors. Total concentration of PAHs (∑PAHs) ranged from 50.0 to 195 ng g−1 and 51.9–133 ng g−1 in sediments of Pung Co (PC) and Dagze Co (DZC), respectively. 2–3-ring PAHs were dominant in the two lake sediments, accounting for an average of 77.5% and 80.1%, respectively. The historical trends of ∑PAHs in the two lakes allowed to distinguish three periods, namely, relative stability before the 1950s, a gradual increase between the 1950s and the 1990s, and then a decline to the present-day. In addition, the trend in the concentration level of each PAH composition was consistent with ∑PAHs before the 1990s, while they exhibited different trends since the 1990s, which may be the result of a combination of anthropogenic activities and climate change in recent years, whereas before the 1990s the PAH profile was mainly influenced by atmospheric deposition. The results of source apportionment examined according to diagnostic ratios and positive matrix factorization were consistent and revealed that PAHs were primarily derived from biomass and coal combustion. Significant correlations between PAHs and organic carbon (OC) indicate that OC might be a key factor influencing the concentration of PAHs in sediments. The ecological risk assessment demonstrated that PAHs in TP sediments occurred at a low risk level. Results of this study could be helpful to develop a deeper insight into the deposition history of PAHs in remote lakes of the TP region and explore the response of these variations to climate change and human activities. •Sediment cores in remote lakes from the Tibetan Plateau were analyzed for PAHs.•2–3-ring PAHs were predominant in the sediments.•Biomass and coal combustion were the main sources of PAHs.•OC was a key factor influencing the concentrations of PAHs in sediments.•Climate change and anthropogenic activities have influenced PAH composition since the 1990s.