The Science of the Total Environment 204 (1997) 135-146 ELSEVIER Enrichment of PAHs and heavy metals in soils in the vicinityof the lignite-fired power plants of West Macedonia (Greece) Constantine D. Stalikas”** , Constantina I. Chaidou”, George A. Pilidisb ‘European Environmental Research Institute, Dodonis 42, 45 221 Ioannina, Greece hLaboratory of Organic Chemistry, Dept. of Chemisty, Universiry of loannina, 45 110 loannina, Greece Received 31 January 1997; accepted 30 May 1997 Abstract The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) content and selected metals were measured in surface soils in the vicinity of the lignite-fired power plants in the vulnerable region of West Macedonia (Greece). The sp distribution was assessed by direct comparison and normalisation procedures. The data indicated a mode enrichment for Cr and Ni and to a lesser extent for Mn and relatively high PAH pollution. The prime source of most of PAHs and trace elements measured is ascribed to lignite combustion and less to other anthropogenic activities or soil composition. PAHs with three and four rings which exist mostly in the vapour phase in the atmosphere, are dispersed over long distances. As for cultivation purposes, the critical metal concentrations for plants in the majority of soil samples are not exceeded except for Ni, while the concentration of PAHs in surveyed soils is considered to be low in all respects. 0 1997 Elsevier Science B.V. Keywords: PAH pollution; Metal enrichment; Soil; Lignite-tired power plant 1. Introduction Gaseous and particle-boundpolycyclic aro- matic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can be transported over long distances before deposition (Freeman and Cattell, 1990). Pollution sources range from wood burning (Hewitt and Rashed, 1991) and traffic(Vogt et al., 1987; Pathirana et al., 1994) to several sorts of industrial activities(Edwards, -____ 1983; Gennadiyev et al., 1991). * Corresponding author. Tel.: + 30 651 62694; fax: + 30 651 The combustion of lignite results principally in 36838; e-mail: eeri@otenet.gr the release of hydrocarbons. Approx. 100 g of 004%9697/9’7/$17.00 0 1997 ElsevierScience B.V. All rights reserved. PII SOO48-9697(97)00156-3