TY - JOUR
T1 - Assessment of seasonal variations in persistent organic pollutants across the region of Tuscany using passive air samplers
AU - Estellano, Victor H.
AU - Pozo, Karla
AU - Přibylová, Petra
AU - Klánová, Jana
AU - Audy, Ondřej
AU - Focardi, Silvano
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - Concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were measured for an entire year in the region of Tuscany, Italy. Passive air samplers consisting of polyurethane foam (PUF) disks were deployed over four sampling periods of 3–5 months from April 2008 to July 2009 in urban (n = 6) and rural (n = 4) sites. The aim of the study was to characterize the spatial and seasonal variations in selected POPs. The POP concentrations (pg m−3) in the air were dominated by dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and metabolites (DDTs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (∑7PCBs). DDTs, and ∑7PCBs showed a clear decreasing urban > rural gradient. The concentrations of DDTs and PCBs were up to 10 and 6 times higher, respectively, in urban sites than in rural sites. ∑7PCBs showed a significant correlation with the urbanized areas located <5 km around the sampling sites. For hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), α-HCH concentrations were similar at both sampling sites and were found to be quite uniform during the four sampling periods. Seasonal fluctuations were observed for DDTs, and ∑7PCBs, with the highest concentrations observed during period 4 (summer–spring); this is most likely due to a temperature-driven re-emission from local sources. These findings were also supported by an air back trajectory analysis in the study area. This study contributes new information about POP levels in the Italian atmosphere and demonstrates the feasibility of using PUF disks to simultaneously assess seasonal concentrations at different sampling sites.
AB - Concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were measured for an entire year in the region of Tuscany, Italy. Passive air samplers consisting of polyurethane foam (PUF) disks were deployed over four sampling periods of 3–5 months from April 2008 to July 2009 in urban (n = 6) and rural (n = 4) sites. The aim of the study was to characterize the spatial and seasonal variations in selected POPs. The POP concentrations (pg m−3) in the air were dominated by dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and metabolites (DDTs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (∑7PCBs). DDTs, and ∑7PCBs showed a clear decreasing urban > rural gradient. The concentrations of DDTs and PCBs were up to 10 and 6 times higher, respectively, in urban sites than in rural sites. ∑7PCBs showed a significant correlation with the urbanized areas located <5 km around the sampling sites. For hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), α-HCH concentrations were similar at both sampling sites and were found to be quite uniform during the four sampling periods. Seasonal fluctuations were observed for DDTs, and ∑7PCBs, with the highest concentrations observed during period 4 (summer–spring); this is most likely due to a temperature-driven re-emission from local sources. These findings were also supported by an air back trajectory analysis in the study area. This study contributes new information about POP levels in the Italian atmosphere and demonstrates the feasibility of using PUF disks to simultaneously assess seasonal concentrations at different sampling sites.
KW - PAS-PUF
KW - POPs
KW - Seasonal variability
KW - Tuscany
KW - Urban and rural sites
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85009471175&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.08.092
DO - 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.08.092
M3 - Article
C2 - 28089209
AN - SCOPUS:85009471175
SN - 0269-7491
VL - 222
SP - 609
EP - 616
JO - Environmental Pollution
JF - Environmental Pollution
ER -