Characterization of Gaseous and Particulate Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Ambient Air of Delhi,India

Three seasonal sampling campaigns were undertaken at an urban site of Delhi for collection of PAHs in particulate and gas phase. Sampling was done by using modified Respirable Dust (PM ≤10μm) sampler attached with polyurethane foam (PUF) plugs and compared with conventional Respirable Dust (PM ≤10 μm) sampler. Total 16 EPA PAH (gaseous + particulate) were determined by Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrophotometer (GC-MS). The 3-ring PAH constitutes approximately 90% of the gaseous PAHs with phenanthrene, fluoranthene, acenapthylene, and acenaphthene being the most abundant gaseous PAHs. PAHs with 4- to 6- rings accounted for 92%, 87% and 78% in samples collected during winter, summer and monsoon season respectively. Gaseous PAHs, particulate PAHs and total PAHs were higher during winter as compared to summer and monsoon seasons. The contribution of particulate PAHs were 1.4, 2.1, and 2.5 times higher in winter, summer and monsoon, respectively than of gaseous PAHs. Indeno[123-cd]pyrene, benzo[ghi]perylene, dibenzo[ah]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene and chrysene were found to be the most abundant PAH compounds in the particulate PAHs during all the seasons. The result from application of diagnostic ratio suggests that the higher particulate PAHs emissions were predominantly associated with vehicular emissions along with emissions from biomass burning during winter season.     

Characteristics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons emissions of diesel engine fueled with biodiesel and diesel

With mutagenic and carcinogenic potential, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from mobile source exhaust have contributed to a substantial share of air toxics. In order to characterize the PAHs emissions of diesel engine fueled with diesel, biodiesel (B100) and its blend (B20), an experimental study has been carried out on a direct-injection turbocharged diesel engine. The particle-phase and gas-phase PAHs in engine exhaust were collected by fiberglass filters and “PUF/XAD-2/PUF” cartridges, respectively, then the PAHs were determined by a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS). The experimental results indicated that comparing with diesel, using B100 and B20 can greatly reduce the total PAHs emissions of diesel engine by 19.4% and 13.1%, respectively. The Benzo[a]Pyrene (BaP) equivalent of PAHs emissions were also decreased by 15.0% with the use of B100. For the three fuels, the gas-phase PAHs emissions were higher than particle-phase PAHs emissions and the most abundant PAH compounds from engine exhaust were naphthalene and phenanthrene. The analysis showed that there was a close correlation between total PAHs emissions and particulate matter (PM) emissions for three fuels. Furthermore, the correlation became more significant when using biodiesel.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emissions of non-road diesel engine treated with non-thermal plasma technology

Non-road diesel engines are important polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) sources in the environment due to their high emission concentration compared to on-road diesel engines. Particle- and gas-phase PAH concentrations of a non-road diesel engine were investigated. Non-thermal plasma (NTP) as an effective after-treatment technology was used to reduce PAH emissions. The results showed that particle-phase PAH concentrations were 329.7 µg/m³, 3,206.7 µg/m³, and 1,185.7 µg/m³ without the action of NTP at three different engine loads respectively. Relatively low concentrations were measured for gas-phase PAHs. Excellent linearity was shown for particle-phase with total PAH concentrations both with, and without, NTP. The gas-phase PAH concentrations linearly increased with engine load without NTP. The five most abundant compounds of PAHs were among low molecular weight (LMW) and medium molecular weight (MMW) compounds. Total PAH cleaning efficiency was beyond 50% when treated with NTP at the three different engine loads. We hypothesized that naphthalene (Nap) concentrations increased greatly at 60% and 80% engine loads because it was produced within the plasma zone by decomposition of high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs. The PAHs content of particulate matter (PM) aggregation at 60% load was approximately three times higher than at 40% and 80% loads. High correlation values were observed for MMW PAHs with total PAH concentrations. Correlations of PAH concentration reduction could be important to clarify the PAH reduction mechanism with NTP technology.     

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Concentration and Acute Toxicity of Airborne Particulate Matter: Using Microtox as a Toxicity Screening Tool

The present study evaluated six solvent vehicles and assessed acute toxicity of airborne particles in a Microtox system. Acetone, acetonitrile, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), ethanol, ethylene glycol, and methanol were chosen as carrier solvents and examined for their suitability in the Microtox bioassay at initial concentrations of 5.0, 2.5, 1.0, 0.25, and 0.08% (v/v) respectively. Air samples were collected using a high-volume sampler on the roof of a four-story building and at a traffic intersection in Tainan in southern Taiwan during 2000. Results show that DMSO, at solvent levels of not more than 2.5% (v/v), is a better and more suitable solvent vehicle for assessing the acute toxicity of airborne particles in Microtox. In addition, concentrations of airborne particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) varied seasonally, and generally decreased with increasing temperature (winter > fall > spring > summer). However, particulate PAH concentrations measured on the roof were much lower than those measured at the traffic intersection, by factors of about 1/43 to 1/10. Concentrations of airborne particulate PAHs showed good correlation with EC 50 values for particle-associated soluble organic fraction.     

Characteristics of Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Ambient Air through a Long-Term Sampling Program at a Metropolitan City in Taiwan

Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in total suspended particulate (TSP) matter as well as gaseous PAH contents are measured at an urban site adjacent to the capital of Taiwan. Several factors, such as seasonal variation, ring number, G/P (gas/particulate) ratio, and C-atom number, are utilized to characterize the pollution features of 14 PAHs. The results show that the total PAH content in TSP has been reduced gradually. The probable carcinogenic PAH compounds exist primarily in the particulate phase. The concentration distributions of each PAH compound are different, and the quantities and ring distributions of PAHs are significantly affected by seasonal fluctuation. The G/P ratio is highly associated with the C-atom number of PAHs. Factor analysis, along with the characteristic ratios of PAHs, is used to qualitatively identify the probable contributors. The results suggest that traffic exhaust and industrial origins are the predominant contributors.     

POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBON CONCENTRATIONS OF AIRBORNE PARTICLES IN URBAN AIR OVER THE PAST TWENTY YEARS

To estimate human exposure to hazardous chemicals, it is important to measure the annual trends regarding the concentrations of these compounds in the environment. Airborne particulate samples were collected over the past 20 years (1980–2001) from ambient air using a quartz fiber filter with the help of a high-volume air sampler placed on the top of the National Institute of the Public Health building, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan. In the present study, portions of these filter samples were analyzed to investigate the trends regarding the concentration of PAHs in urban air over the sampling period. The concentrations of various PAHs per unit air volume were determined. The concentrations of seven PAHs decreased within the sampling periods, especially in the late 1980s, and slowly decreased from the middle 1990s. The concentrations of seven PAHs were higher in autumn and winter than in the spring and summer.     

A Technique for Controllable Vapor-Phase Deposition of l-Nitro[14C]pyrene and Other Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons onto Environmental Particulate Matter

To produce environmental particles fortified with a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) for toxicology studies, an experimental apparatus was devised for deposition of the desired chemical species onto particles in a controlled and reproducible manner. The technique utilized consists of dispersion of the particles on a gaseous stream at a controlled rate, thermal vaporization of a solution of PAH, delivery of the vaporized PAH into the aerosol of particles at a controlled rate, subsequent condensation of the PAH onto the particles, and final recovery of the coated particles. The effectiveness of this approach was demonstrated by vapor-coating a ¹⁴C-labeled PAH (l-nitro[¹⁴C]-pyrene) onto diesel engine exhaust particles that had previously been collected by tunnel dilution sampling techniques. Using the ¹⁴C label as a tracer, the coated particles were characterized with respect to degree of coating, integrity of particle structure and absence of chemical decomposition of the coating substrate. This study demonstrates that the described method provides a controllable means for depositing a substance uniformly and with a high coating efficiency onto aerosolized particles. The technique was also used to vapor-coat benzo(a)pyrene onto diesel engine exhaust and urban ambient air particulate matter, and 2-nitrofluoranthene onto urban ambient air particulate matter. Coating efficiencies of about 400 μg/g particulate matter were routinely obtained on a single coating run, and up to 1200 μg/g (1200 ppm) were achieved after a second pass through the process. The coated particles were subsequently utilized in biological fate, distribution and metabolism studies     

Development of a High Volume Cascade Impactor for Toxicological and Chemical Characterization Studies

This paper presents the design and development of a compact high volume cascade impactor (HVCI). The HVCI operates at a flow rate of 900 l/min and consists of 4 impaction stages equipped with circular slit-shaped acceleration nozzles and a backup filter. The backup filter is placed downstream of the fourth stage and is used to collect the ultrafine particles ( d p < 0.1 w m). The major feature of this novel sampler is its ability to collect relatively large amounts of particles (mg-g levels) onto relatively small polyurethane foam substrates without using adhesives. As previously reported, the capacity of the impaction substrate is 2.15 g of collected particles per cm 2 of foam. Although the impaction substrates are not coated with adhesives such as grease or mineral oil, particle bounce and re-entrainment losses were found not to be significant. Particles can be easily recovered from the foam substrates using aqueous extraction. The impactor was calibrated using polydisperse particles. The 50% cutpoints of the 4 stages were 9.90, 2.46, 1.0, and 0.1 w m, respectively. Interstage losses of ultrafine and fine particles were < 10% and for coarse particles were < 20%. The pressure drop across the 4 stages and the backup filter were 0.25, 0.75, 1.25, 19.9, and 3.3 kPa, respectively.     

The Exposure Profiles,Correlation Factors and Comparison of PAHs and Nitro-PAHs in Urban and Non-Urban Regions in Suspended Particulate Matter in Poland

ABSTRACT

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their nitrated derivatives are responsible for mutagenic activation of ambient air. The aim of the study was the assessment of exposure for PAHs and nitro-PAHs in the urbanized region in Poland in comparison with the non-urbanized region and assessment of seasonal variation of PAHs and nitro-PAHs. Concentrations of 12 PAHs, 8 nitrated PAHs in total suspended particulate matter in air of urban and suburban (reference samples-mountain region) region in Poland during four seasons have been shown. The method of solvent extraction of particulate matter, fractionation organic extract and HPLC and GC/MS analysis were applied. The concentrations of PAHs and nitro-PAHs were 10–100 times lower in reference samples than concentrations of PAHs and nitro-PAHs in urban region in summer. The concentrations of PAHs and nitro-PAHs were highest in winter. The exposure profiles of PAHs and nitro-PAHs in four seasons have been shown. The correlation factor between concentrations of PAHs and nitro-PAHs was found. Important influence of ambient air temperature for PAHs and nitro-PAHs concentrations was shown. Obtained results suggest that the coal combustion in Polish households was the main source of PAHs and their nitro derivatives contaminations. Emission from transport sources is a secondary source of air pollution in urban areas.     

POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS OF DIESEL AND GASOLINE EXHAUST AND DNA ADDUCT DETECTION IN CALF THYMUS DNA AND LYMPHOCYTE DNA OF WORKERS EXPOSED TO DIESEL EXHAUST

Particles present in urban air pollution are mainly derived from diesel- and gasoline-fueled vehicles. Exhaust emission is able to cause several health effects in humans including mutagenicity and carcinogenicity. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in diesel and gasoline particulate extracts and DNA binding to CT DNA (±S9 and ±XO) was investigated. A large difference in content of 14 PAHs in diesel and gasoline extracts was observed, showing higher concentration of 14 PAHs, 6 carcinogenic PAHs, benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) in diesel than in gasoline extracts. Selected PAH standards of B[a]P, benzo[c]fluoranthene (B[c]F), and 3-nitrobenzanthrone (NBA) were used in ³²P-postlabeling/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) technique to identify CT DNA adducts formed by diesel particulate extracts. CT DNA adduct formation was higher for diesel extracts in comparison with gasoline extracts; however, no clear origin of DNA adducts derived from B[c]F-, 3-NBA-, B[a]P was detected. ³²P-postlabeling/PAGE was a useful assay for analyzing and identifying PAH-DNA adducts. Occupational exposure to particulate and volatile PAH concentrations were evaluated using personal air samples and lymphocyte DNA adducts as markers of exposure. Overall air PAH concentrations were low in all eight workplaces, consisting of 97% of vapor phase compounds. DNA adducts analyzed by ³²P-postlabeling assay were compared between the butanol and nuclease P1 enrichment procedures. Only in winter samples of exposed workers, butanol extraction revealed significantly higher adduct levels in comparison with those of control persons. No differences in adduct levels between exposed and control persons in summer were detected by using either butanol extraction or nuclease P1 treatment. Total concentrations of particulate and volatile PAHs measured in eight workplaces in winter showed a significant correlation with total DNA adducts analyzed in workers' lymphocytes (r = 0.852N = 8, p = .007).     

PM 2.5 Semivolatile Organic Material at Riverside,California: Implications for the PM 2.5 Federal Reference Method Sampler

Particulate semivolatile organic compounds can be lost from particles on a filter during sample collection and storage, resulting in a negative artifact. Gas-phase organic compounds can adsorb on a quartz filter to cause a positive artifact. A sampler (Particle Concentrator-Brigham Young University Organic Sampling System: PC-BOSS) has been developed that uses a cyclone and virtual impactor (particle concentrator) inlet to provide a concentrated stream of 0.1-2.5 w m particles. The concentrator is followed by a BOSS diffusion denuder to remove interfering gas-phase compounds and filter packs to collect particles, including any semivolatile species lost from the particles during sampling. The sampler can be used for the determination of both fine particulate nitrate and semivolatile organic material without significant "positive" or "negative" sampling artifacts. The sampler has been evaluated at Riverside, CA. The collection efficiency of the particle concentrator was stable, being 65% - 2% and 61% - 1% for particulate sulfate and soot, respectively. Results obtained with the PC-BOSS for the determination of PM 2.5 organic material including semivolatile components agreed with results from a BOSS, but not with filter pack results. The precision of the PC-BOSS results for particulate organic material was - 8%. An average of 50% of the particulate organic material was lost from the particles during sampling for all samplers used. As a result of the loss of semivolatile organic material and nitrate, the PM 2.5 Federal Reference Method sampler underdetermined PM 2.5 by an average of 34% with the under measurement varying from negligible to 27 w g/m 3 , averaging 8.9 w g/m 3 .     

Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds in the Atmosphere – A Review Identifying Research Needs

Most of the 16 EPA priority PAHs (or a subset of these) are targeted in the current monitoring of air and air pollution studies. However, other parent PAHs may account for up to another ≈10%, nitro-PAHs up to ≈20%, and oxy-PAHs for even more. The reactivity in the atmospheric gas and particulate phases is incompletely quantified, in particular with regard to coverage of aerosol matrix diversity and photochemical age. Therefore, the model-based characterization of exposure is still limited. Nitro- and oxy-PAHs pose a higher health risk in ambient air than parent PAHs but have not been measured as extensively so far and are usually not included in monitoring programs. Nitro-PAHs are also interesting as tracers for air pollution source identification and pathways of photochemistry. Among heterocyclic aromatic compounds in ambient air dibenzofuran and dibenzothiophene should be targeted.     

Removal of polyaromatic hydrocarbons from scrap tires by solvent extraction

This study analyzes polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds released from scrap tires by GC/MS and introduces a simple extraction process at ambient conditions to remove PAHs from scrap tires. The PAH species released from scrap tires included seven PAH compounds with high molecular weight and 4- and 5-aromatic rings and total-PAH content of 159 mg/L. When scrap tires were extracted using hot water (180 °C) for 3 h, the overall removal efficiency was 53%, indicating that PAHs were not adequately removed by this method. However, using organic solvents, the overall PAH removal efficiency improved to 82% for propionic acid and 70% for acetic acid, because the mass transfer of PAHs within scrap tires increases with decreasing dielectric constant. The PAH removal efficiency was dependent on solvent type and temperature.     

Release of PAHs Through Runoff from the Gwangan Bridge to the Coast in Busan,Korea

This study was carried out from the Gwangan Bridge in Busan, Korea in order to examine the characteristics and the amount of PAHs in runoff from Gwangan Bridge, and the consequential PAH burdens in the ocean. The runoff samples were collected in particulate and dissolved phase, and the ambient air samples were collected in particulate and gaseous phase. In this study, 20 samples were collected from 10 different sites. The concentrations of 16 PAHs, in particulate road surface samples, ranged from 76.71 to 170.98 ng/g, and the dissolved road surface runoff samples ranged from 23.31 to 72.9 ng/L. In ambient air, the PAHs concentration in gaseous phase was higher than the samples in particulate phase. From these results, the amount of annual release of PAHs through runoff into the coast was calculated, and the Toxic Potency Equivalency Factors and Dioxin Toxic Equivalency Factors were applied. The annual release of total PAHs and the carcinogenic PAHs via runoff from Gwangan Bridge to the coast were 14.1 g/yr and 3.13 g/yr, respectively. The PAHs-_TPEQ was 0.85 g/yr and the PAH-_{dioxin TEQ} was 0.69 mg/yr.     

Effect of sonication assisted by titanium dioxide and ferrous ions on polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and toxicity removals from a petrochemical industry wastewater in Turkey

BACKGROUND: In Izmir (Turkey) polyaromatic hydracarbon (PAH) removal efficiencies are low in petrochemical industry aerobic biological wastewater treatment plants because bacteria are not able to overcome the inhibition of these toxic and refractory organics. In order to increase PAHs removal, sonication process was chosen among other advanced treatment processes include sonication processes. The effects of ambient conditions, increasing sonication time, sonication temperature, TiO₂ and Fe⁺² concentrations on sonication at a petrochemical industry wastewater treatment plant in Izmir (Turkey) was investigated in a 650 W sonicator, at a frequency of 35 kHz and a 500 mL glass reactor. RESULTS: Increasing the temperature improved PAH removal after 150 min sonication at 30 °C and 60 °C. The maximum total PAH removal efficiencies were the same in a reactor containing 20 mg L^?1 TiO₂ and in a TiO₂‐free reactor at 30 °C and 60 °C after 150 min sonication. Maximum 91% and 97% total PAH removals were obtained in a control reactor and a reactor containing 20 mg L^?1 Fe⁺² at 30 °C and 60 °C, respectively, after 150 min sonication. The PAH concentration was toxic to Daphnia magna, so that the EC₅₀ value decreased significantly from 342.56 ng mL^?1 to EC₅₀ = 9.88 ng mL^?1 and to EC₅₀ = 3.35 ng mL^?1, at the lowest TiO₂ (0.1 mg L^?1) and Fe⁺² (2 mg L^?1) concentrations, respectively, after 150 min sonication at 30 °C. CONCLUSION: PAHs and the acute toxicity in a petrochemical industry wastewater were removed efficiently through sonication. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Airborne Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) in Bangkok Urban Air: Part II. Level and Distribution

The gas-particle partitioning and particle size distributions of airborne PAH in Bangkok urban air were investigated using an 8 stage size fractionating cascade impactor (Andersen “low volume” sampler) and a downstream XAD-2 adsorbent tube for sample collection. Nine PAH classified as carcinogenic and co-carcinogenic compounds-Pyrene (PYR), Benz(a)Anthracene (BaA), Benzo(e)Pyrene (BeP), Dibenz(a,c)Anthracene (DBacA), Benzo(k)Fluoranthene (BkF), Benzo(a)Pyrene (BaP), Dibenz(a,h)Anthracene (DBahA), Benzo(ghi)Perylene (BghiP) and Trimethylcholanthrene (3MC) - were quantified. The lower molecular weight (MW) PAH such as PYR, BeP and BaA were present mainly in the gaseous phase (80%, 40% and 24%, respectively) while higher MW compounds were present almost totally in the particulate fraction. The results show that 30%–60% of each PAH by mass were found on particles smaller than 0.43 μm and more than 70% on particles with diameter less than 2.1 μm. In addition, the relationship between the particle/gas partition coefficient (K _p ) and the sub-cooled liquid vapor pressure (p°_L) was also determined to describe the gas-particle partitioning of those PAH compounds in a tropical atmosphere.     

Screening of Aerosol Filter Samples for PAHs and Nitro-PAHs by Laser Desorption Ionization TOF Mass Spectrometry

Direct and selective screening of aerosol particulate matter for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nitro-PAHs) is achieved using laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (LDI TOF) mass spectrometry. Desorption and ionization of collected aerosol particulate matter was accomplished using pulsed UV radiation at 266 nm. PAHs were detected in positive ion spectra, while nitro-PAHs were selectively detected in negative ion spectra. Direct laser desorption ionization circumvents extraction procedures necessary for HPLC or gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analyses, and such screening offers potential cost saving by identifying samples which contain too little PAH for GC/MS analyses to be productive. Applicability of the LDI TOF method was demonstrated by collecting aerosol particles of less than 2.5 mu m aerodynamic diameter (PM 2 . 5) on Teflon filters from inside an urban bus terminal. Sampling of small air volumes (0.32-0.98 m3) was sufficient for LDI TOF analysis. Positive ion mass spectra of all collected aerosol samples exhibited peaks attributed to a wide range of PAHs. Of primary importance, selective ionization and detection of less abundant and more toxic nitro-PAHs is demonstrated in the negative ion spectra. GC/MS analyses of duplicate filters confirmed laser desorption ionization analyses and assisted identification of specific PAH isomers.     

GAS/PARTICLE AND SIZE DISTRIBUTIONS OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS IN AMBIENT AIR IN TOKYO 2001–2002

By using an Andersen sampler equipped with a low-pressure impactor, samples of 12 size-classified (>0.13 μm to <12 μm) airborne particles and samples of gaseous components were taken from the air in Tokyo for continuous periods of 19 weeks in the summer of 2001 and 17 weeks in the winter of 2001–2. The sampling filters were changed weekly. The concentrations of eight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the particulate and gas-phase samples were measured by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection. Pyrene was detected in the gas phase in both summer and winter: 59% of the total pyrene detected was present in the gas phase in summer, but this fraction decreased to 40% in winter. In the particle fractions, the summer levels of benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF), dibenz[a,h]anthracene (dBahA), and benzo[a]anthracene (BaA) peaked in particles of diameter 1.25 μm, and benzo[ghi]perylene (BghiP), benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[b]chrysene (BbC), and dibenzo[a,e]pyrene (dBaeP) peaked in particles of diameter 0.76 μm. In winter, BkF, BghiP, BaA, BbC, and dBaeP levels peaked in particles of diameter 0.52 μm, whereas dBahA peaked in particles of diameter 0.76 μm.     

Problems in the Extraction of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from Diesel Particulate Matter

In this work, a comparison between Soxhlet, ultrasonic, and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) (using hexane:acetone 1:1) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from SRM 1650 diesel particulate matter was made. As good recoveries were not obtained for the higher molecular weight compounds, MAE with toluene and dichloromethane was also tested. Achieved recoveries were compared with the results obtained in the same assays made with SRM 1648 urban particulate matter and real atmospheric particulate samples. In order to explain the difficulty of the extraction of PAHs from SRM 1650 in comparison to SRM 1648 and real atmospheric particulate samples, elemental analysis, X-ray diffraction, and particle analysis using scanning electron microscopy coupled to an automatic computer imaging system were also made. It is important to notice that SRM 1650 shows a high percentage of carbon and differences in the morphology of the particles between SRM 1650 and SRM 1648 were observed.     

Project Tocoen. The Fate of Selected Organic Compounds in the Environment. Part XXVIII. Levels of PAHs and Some Halogenated POPs in Ambient Air in Czech Republic

Abstract

Concentrations of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), chlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzo-p-furans (PCDDs/Fs) in ambient air in Ko?etice, a background locality in the South Bohemia, have been estimated in the period from July to December 1994. The 24-hours samples have been taken by the means of a high-volume sampler. Sample analysis involved Soxhlet extraction of polyurethane foam, extract preconcentration and chromatographic clean-up procedure followed by HPLC determination of PAHs with fluorescence detection, GC/ECD determination of chlorinated pollutants, and GC/MS determination of PCDDs/Fs. The results of this first detailed study undertaken in Czech Republic are compared with the data obtained by similar projects in industrial and/or urban areas in the Czech Republic and in rural or urban areas in other European countries.