Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil situated around solid waste dumpsite in Awka, Nigeria

Abstract Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are common contaminants in the environment that can threaten the populace living close to contaminated soil. Soil samples were collected from the study and control areas which were analyzed for PAHs using Gas chromatography. The detected PAHs concentrations varied from ND to 6.83 ± 10.58 µg/kg for the study sample and ND − 3.23 ± 4.72 µg/kg for the control sample for the wet season. The study sample dry season concentration values of PAHs ranged from ND to 4.73 ± 5.69 µg/kg and varied from ND to 3.67 ± 5.49 µg/kg for the control sample in the dry season. The study sample ( PAHs) values were significantly higher than the control location in both seasons. The detected 2–3 ringed PAHs values were higher than the 4–6 ringed PAHs for both locations and seasons. The ratios of the molecular groups indicated that the PAHs were delivered to the soil from pyrolytic and petrogenic sources. The values of the cancer risks for adults and children ranged from 1.02 − 5.68 to 2.27 − 4.3 for dermal and ingestion pathways respectively which makes cancer risks unlikely for both age categories in both locations.