Fouad Mahmoud M, El-Gendy Ahmed S, Khalil Mostafa M H, Razek Taha M A
Quality and Environmental Affairs Department, Holding Company for Water and Wastewater, 11687 Rod El Farag, Cairo, Egypt E-mail:
Department of Construction Engineering, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, Egypt.
J Water Health. 2022 Apr;20(4):680-691. doi: 10.2166/wh.2022.312.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pose a constant threat to the environment and public health. There are numerous activities in the Greater Cairo area that emit and release significant amounts of PAHs. Concentrations of these PAHs are released into the air and mixed with surface water, limiting its use. In this study, 17 PAH compounds are mapped at eight sites along the Nile River and its tributaries in Greater Cairo. In addition, their removal efficiency is evaluated with the conventional treatment in eight water treatment plants. PAHs were analyzed using GC-MS from January to December 2018. Naphthalene, anthracene, fluorene, pyrene, and phenanthrene were detected. The total amount of PAHs in raw water was highest in Shamal Helwan (1,325 ± 631 ng/l) and lowest in Mostorod (468 ± 329 ng/l), and the removal ranged from 25 to 31%. Further research is needed to integrate other techniques to reduce PAHs using the conventional treatment, and more efforts should be made to reduce the presence and release of PAHs in raw water.
多环芳烃（PAHs）对环境和公众健康构成持续威胁。大开罗地区有众多活动会排放大量多环芳烃。这些多环芳烃的浓度释放到空气中并与地表水混合，限制了地表水的使用。在本研究中，对大开罗地区尼罗河及其支流沿线的8个地点的17种多环芳烃化合物进行了测绘。此外，还在8个水处理厂评估了它们采用常规处理方法的去除效率。于2018年1月至12月使用气相色谱 - 质谱联用仪（GC - MS）对多环芳烃进行了分析。检测到了萘、蒽、芴、芘和菲。原水中多环芳烃的总量在沙马尔赫尔万最高（1325±631纳克/升），在莫斯托罗德最低（468±329纳克/升），去除率在25%至31%之间。需要进一步开展研究，整合其他技术以利用常规处理方法减少多环芳烃，并且应做出更多努力来减少原水中多环芳烃的存在和释放。
