Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the atmosphere of three Chilean cities using passive air samplers

In this study passive air samplers containing polyurethane foam (PUF) disks were deployed in three cities across Chile; Santiago (STG) (n = 5, sampling sites), Concepciόn (CON) (n = 6) and Temuco (TEM) (n = 6) from 2008 to 2009. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (7 indicator congeners), chlorinated pesticides hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethanes (DDTs) and flame retardants such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were determined by gas chromatography coupled mass spectrometry (GC/MS). A sampling rate (R) typical of urban sites (4 m³/day) was used to estimate the atmospheric concentrations of individual compounds. PCB concentrations in the air (pg/m³) ranged from ~ 1–10 (TEM), ~ 1–40 (STG) and 4–30 (CON). Higher molecular weight PCBs (PCB-153, − 180) were detected at industrial sites (in Concepción). The HCHs showed a prevalence of γ-HCH across all sites, indicative of inputs from the use of lindane but a limited use of technical HCHs in Chile. DDTs were detected with a prevalence of p,p′-DDE accounting for ~ 50% of the total DDTs. PBDE concentrations in air (pg/m³) ranged from 1 to 55 (STG), 0.5 to 20 (CON) and from 0.4 to 10 (TEM), and were generally similar to those reported for many other urban areas globally. The pattern of PBDEs was different among the three cities; however, PBDE-209 was dominant at most of the sites. These results represent one of the few assessments of air concentrations of POPs across different urban areas within the same country. These data will support Chilean commitments as a signatory to the Stockholm Convention on POPs and for reporting as a member country of the Group of Latin America and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC) region.