Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in brown coals from Poland

Concentrations of seventeen unsubstituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been determined in brown coal samples from several deposits in Poland. Content of the total determined PAHs ranges from 0.247 to 4.894 ppm, with an average value of 1.542 ppm. Unsubstituted PAHs concentrations in brown coals from tectonic depression deposits are several times higher than in brown coals from lensoid deposits. Among the investigated PAHs, perylene is the most abundant, exceeding other determined PAHs more than tenfold. Samples taken from coal lensoid deposits contain more chrysene and benzo(a)anthracene than samples from tectonic depressions, which have more acenaphthylene, fluoranthene and pyrene.