Author(s):
Aayushi Pathak, Neelabh Kashyap, Tandesh Lal Chandra, Pranjal Yadav, Sudhir Yadav
Email(s):
iucpathak22@gmail.com , neelkash17@gmail.com , drtlchandra76@gmail.com , pranjalyadav1602@gmail.com , sudhirforensic@gmail.com
Address:
Guru Ghasiadas Vishwavidylaya, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India.
Guru Ghasiadas Vishwavidylaya, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India.
Guru Ghasiadas Vishwavidylaya, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India.
Guru Ghasiadas Vishwavidylaya, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India.
Guru Ghasiadas Vishwavidylaya, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India.
Corresponding Author: sudhirforensic@gmail.com
Published In:
Volume - 39,
Issue - 1,
Year - 2026
DOI:
10.52228/JRUB.2026-39-1-3 
ABSTRACT:
Industrial activities involving combustion represent primary sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contamination in emerging industrial zones. Although soil functions as a persistent environmental sink for carcinogenic PAHs, the degree to which this contamination results in human internal dosimetry and physiological perturbations is inadequately understood. The present study examined the environmental–biological continuum of PAHs in the Siltara Industrial Region, Central India, focusing on soil's carcinogenic potential, trophic transfer pathways, and biomarker responses in at-risk populations. PAH concentrations were determined in soil, vegetation, and blood specimens from industrial workers and nearby residents. Total PAH loads, prevalence rates, and toxic equivalency quotients were computed. Bioaccumulation factors were assessed. Independent t-tests, correlational statistics, and multivariate regressions were utilized to evaluate exposure disparities and biomarker correlations. Soil displayed substantial total PAH concentrations with a carcinogenic TEQ of 25.12 BaP-equivalent ppb, affirming its status as a carcinogenic depot dominated by combustion-sourced high-molecular-weight PAHs. Vegetation exhibited preferential uptake of low-molecular-weight PAHs, devoid of quantifiable carcinogenic TEQ. The industrial cohort showed a 3.27-fold elevation in internal PAH burden relative to residents. Nonetheless, renal and hepatic biomarkers lacked significant correlations with PAH exposure. Marginal perturbations in haemoglobin were noted, hinting at incipient subclinical haematological effects. These results demonstrate that industrial soil persists as a carcinogenic PAH reservoir, yet systemic biochemical toxicity appears constrained. Augmented internal PAH levels in workers imply chronic low-level exposure, wherein subtle haematological alterations may foreshadow frank organ pathology.
Cite this article:
Pathak, Kashyap, Chandra, Yadav and Yadav (2026). Soil as a Carcinogenic Reservoir: Environmental-Biological Linkage of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Subclinical Haematological Alterations in the Siltara Industrial Region, Central India. Journal of Ravishankar University (Part-B: Science), 39(1), pp. 46-60. DOI:https://doi.org/10.52228/JRUB.2026-39-1-3