Abstract

The present study examined the effect of PAHs and OPAHs on soil quality applying microbiological parameters. It was carried near the Angren coal mining and power generating area in a semi-arid region of Uzbekistan. The study site was selected in order to establish a national monitoring program for assessing the environmental conditions of areas remote but downwind from greater emission sources. The aims of this study were to (I) to determine the spatial variation of PAHs and OPAHs in soil along a transect (ii) examine the relationships between PAH, OPAHs concentration, and the physicochemical and biological characteristics of the soil, and to (iii) evaluate their impact on soil microbial properties