Moyo, StanleyMcCrindle, RobMokgalaka-Fleischmann, Ntebogeng SharonMyburgh, Jan G.Mujuru, Munyaradzi2014-01-302014-01-302013-08Moyo, S, McCrindle, R, Mokgalaka, N, Myburgh, JG & Mujuru, M 2013, 'Source apportionment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments from polluted rivers', Pure and Applied Chemistry, vol. 85, no. 12, pp. 2175-2196.0033-4545 (print)1365-3075 (online)10.1351/PAC-CON-12-10-0835321482200http://hdl.handle.net/2263/33195Over the past few decades, in response to growing concerns about the impact of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on human health, a variety of environmental forensics and geochemical techniques have emerged for studying organic pollutants. These techniques include chemical fingerprinting, receptor modeling, and compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA). Chemical fingerprinting methodology involves the use of diagnostic ratios. Receptor modeling techniques include the chemical mass balance (CMB) model and multivariate statistics. Multivariate techniques include factor analysis with multiple linear regression (FA/MLR), positive matrix factorization (PMF), and UNMIX. This article reviews applications of chemical fingerprinting, receptor modeling, and CSIA; comments on their uses; and contrasts the strengths and weaknesses of each methodology.en© 2013 IUPACChemometricsDiagnostic ratiosFactor analysisMass spectrometrySedimentsSource apportionmentPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbonsPolycyclic compoundsArticle