First Assessment of Soil Cover Pollution with Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the City of Ulan-Ude

The content of 17 individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was analyzed in samples of background and urban soils obtained during a geochemical survey of the territory of Ulan-Ude in the summer of 2022 for the first time. The average content of PAHs in the urban soils is 801 ng/g, which is more than 8.5 times higher than the level in background chestnut soils. The soil cover is contaminated primarily with medium- and high-molecular-weight PAHs. The proportions of individual PAHs in the soils of Ulan-Ude range within 4–11% at an average value of 6%. The urban soil cover is found to have ten high-contrast anomalies with the sum of PAHs ranging from 3162 to 10 189 ng/g. The principal component analysis and ratios of PAHs have made it possible to identify the main types of PAH sources and their contribution to urban soil pollution.