Century-long record of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from tree rings in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau.

Abstract Limited studies have been carried out on the historical variations of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), especially in remote regions of the world. In this study, century-long record of PAHs (1916–2018) were reconstructed from tree rings in the remote southeastern Tibetan Plateau (TP). The total concentrations of 15 PAHs varied from 27.5 to 6.05 × 102 ng/g dry weight (dw), with a mean value of 1.40 × 102 ng/g dw. Higher levels of PAHs were observed during World War Ⅱ and the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet, and increasing trends were observed starting from rapid industrialization in India. Both the isomer ratios and the positive matrix factorization model results indicated biomass and coal combustion were the dominant sources of PAHs. The carcinogenic risk of PAHs to local residents was assessed, which might have been negligible in most past periods and lower than in other regions of the world. Nevertheless, since the beginning of the 21st century, the cancer risk has been increasing year by year, indicating more actions are needed to reduce emissions of PAHs. This study provides an idea for reconstructing the pollution history of PAHs at the global scale.