Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) on Fine and Coarse Atmospheric Particles Measured at Two (Urban and Industrial) Sites

Abstract

Particle size is an important parameter in terms of human health effects, fate and transport of pollutants associated with particulate matter (PM). Persistent organic pollutant (POP) (i.e., PAHs, PCBs, PBDEs, and OCPs) concentrations were measured on fine (d p < 2.5 µm) and coarse (2.5 µm < d p < 10 µm) aerosol samples collected at two (Urban and Industrial) sites in Izmir, Turkey. POP concentrations were ~2 times higher at the Industrial site due to the local sources (i.e., scrap processing iron-steel plants, ship-breaking activities, a petroleum refinery, and a petrochemical plant) that were recently shown to be hot spots emitting these pollutants. The size distribution of particle-phase POPs indicated that they were mostly (> 50%) associated with fine PM. The larger contribution of all POP compounds to fine PM could be attributed to the higher sorption capacity of fine PM because of its relatively higher organic matter content compared to coarse PM. Fine PM fraction of POPs significantly increased with octanol-air partition coefficient (K OA ) (p < 0.01) since larger K OA values favor the partitioning of POPs to PM. Relationships between fine PM percent and meteorological parameters (i.e., temperature and wind speed) were also investigated. Fine PM percent decreased with temperature and the correlations were significant for 51% of the compounds (p < 0.01), suggesting that the decrease in K OA with increasing temperature results in less partitioning to PM. Fine PM fraction also decreased with wind speed (p < 0.01 for the 52% of the compounds) that could be attributed to increased resuspension of contaminated coarse particles with increasing wind speed. Using the experimental deposition velocities reported for several POPs in the study area it was shown that dry particle deposition velocity significantly decreases with increasing fine PM fraction (p < 0.01). This indicates that the increase in fine fraction of POPs with decreasing volatility may have important implications for their environmental fate and transport.

Characteristics, Sources, and Health Risks of Atmospheric PM2.5-Bound Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Hsinchu, Taiwan

“…3). The total average PAH concentrations (0.21-8.08 ng m -3 ) in PM 2.5 were close to those measured by Kume et al (2007) in Shizuoka, Japan (1.0-8.4 ng m -3 ), by Li et al (2009) in Atlanta, USA (3.16 ng m -3 ), by Martellini et al (2012) in Tuscany, Italy (5.52 ng m -3 ), by in Sanya, China (3.8-9.9 ng m -3 ), by Callén et al (2014) in Zaragoza, Spain (1.31-2.84 ng m -3 ), by Odabasi, et al (2015) in Izmir, Turkey (8.3 ng m -3 ), and by Oliveira et al (2016) in Portugal (1.45-4.23 ng m -3 ). Moreover, the total average PAH concentrations in this study were substantially lower than those reported earlier by numerous researchers such as Li et al (2005) in Guangzhou, China (15.8-84.8 ng m -3 ); Wu et al (2014) in Ordos, China (68.8 ng m -3 ); Krugly et al (2014) in Kaunas, Lithuania (20.3-131 ng m -3 ); Zhu et al (2015) in Jinan, China (30.8-140 ng m -3 ); and Liu et al (2015) in Guangzhou, China (33.9 ng m -3 ).…”

Infants' Neurodevelopmental Effects of PM2.5 and Persistent Organohalogen Pollutants Exposure in Southern Taiwan

“…PM 2.5 -bound persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) were reported in previous studies (Chao et al, 2016;Chen et al, 2018b;Zhao et al, 2018). The high organic matter content of PM 2.5 as compared to coarse PMs can be attributed to a higher POPs sorption (Odabasi et al, 2015). A significant correlation between POPs and PM 2.5 shown by Xu et al (2005); Jiao et al (2018) states that high temperature results to high POPs concentration in PM 2.5 and it is consistent with Wania and Mackay (1995) wherein they demonstrated that POPs are more likely to volatize in warm areas and they tend to condensate in cold areas.…”

“…A significant correlation between POPs and PM 2.5 shown by Xu et al (2005); Jiao et al (2018) states that high temperature results to high POPs concentration in PM 2.5 and it is consistent with Wania and Mackay (1995) wherein they demonstrated that POPs are more likely to volatize in warm areas and they tend to condensate in cold areas. The slow deposition velocity of PM 2.5 allows the particle bound-POPs to be transported in a longer distance away from its original source, making it detectable in remote areas (Odabasi et al, 2015). Cetin and Odabasi (2007) and Odabasi et al (2015) found out that the most abundant PBDE found in Turkish PM 2.5 environments is the conger BDE-209 followed by BDE-99 and 47 while the abundant OCPs are p,p'-DDT, and p,p'-DDE.…”

“…The slow deposition velocity of PM 2.5 allows the particle bound-POPs to be transported in a longer distance away from its original source, making it detectable in remote areas (Odabasi et al, 2015). Cetin and Odabasi (2007) and Odabasi et al (2015) found out that the most abundant PBDE found in Turkish PM 2.5 environments is the conger BDE-209 followed by BDE-99 and 47 while the abundant OCPs are p,p'-DDT, and p,p'-DDE. A similar study by Zhou et al (2019) also indicated that OCPs such as p,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDE are predominant in Taiwan.…”

Size Specific Distribution Analysis of Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Atmospheric Particulate Matter - Development of a Sampling Method and their Concentration in Meeting Room/Ambient Atmosphere

“…In Germany, PFOA and MeFOSE were found to be predominant in an ultrafine fraction (< 0.14 µm) while the maximum mass fraction of PFOS was in a coarse fraction, with particle diameters between 1.38 and 3.81 µm (Dreyer et al, 2015). Particles and associated chemicals including POPs (i.e., PAHs, PCBs, PBDEs, OCPs, PCDD and PBDD) emitted from anthropogenic sources are likely to be enriched in ultra and fine fractions (e.g., Krecl et al, 2015;Odabasi et al, 2015;Zhang et al, 2015) and this may be similar to PFASs. However, their behaviour and status so far reported appear to be complicated and still not clear especially regarding size segregated behaviour in indoor environments, which has been reported as a major emission source for PFASs (Shoeib et al, 2011).…”