Eighteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed in 29 surface water, 29 suspended particulate matter (SPM), 28 sediment, and 10 pore water samples from Daliao River water system in dry season. The total PAH concentration ranged from 570.2 to 2318.6 ng L-1 in surface water, from 151.0 to 28483.8 ng L-1 in SPM, from 102.9 to 3419.2 ng g(-1) in sediment and from 6.3 to 46.4 mu gl(-1) in pore water. The concentration of dissolved PAHs was higher than that of particulate PAHs at many sites, but the opposite results were generally observed at the sites of wastewater discharge. The Soluble level of PAHs was much higher in the pore water than in the water column. Generally, the water column of the polluted branch streams contained higher content of PAHs than their mainstream. The environmental behaviors and fates of PAHs were examined according to some physicochemical parameters such as pH, organic carbon, SPM content. water content and grain size in sediments. Results showed that organic carbon was the primary factor controlling the distribution of the PAHs in the Daliao River water system. Partitioning of PAHs between sediment solid phase and pore water phase was studied, and the relationship between log K-oc and log K-ow of PAHs on some sediments and the predicted values was compared. PAHs other than naphthalene and acenaphthylene would be accumulated largely in the sediment of the Dalaio River water system. The sources of PAHs were evaluated employing ratios of specific PAHs compounds and different wastewater discharge sources, indicating that combustion was the main source of PAHs input. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.