A Hitchhiker's guide to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) monitoring in air: Establishing a baseline network in Sri Lanka

Abstract

This study provides guidance on establishing new passive air monitoring capacity for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) to address data gaps and the demands of the Stockholm Convention and its Global Monitoring Plan (GMP). The approach presented in this case study in Sri Lanka is particularly relevant to developing countries/regions facing social and environmental pressures that preclude large financial investment in air monitoring capacity and instrumentation. Monitoring data can also lead to co-benefits in addressing intersecting issues, such as human health and biodiversity. Guidance is presented for a simple and cost-effective approach to establish a baseline air monitoring program using polyurethane foam (PUF) disk passive air samplers (PUF-PAS), through a step-wise method that includes: i. Justification; ii. Capacity Creation; iii. Planning; iv. Implementation; v. Analysis and Reporting; and vi. Intersecting Issues. Sampling was initiated at three representative sites in Sri Lanka that include a dry zone agricultural region (n = 5), an urban site (n = 5), and a remote mountain site (n = 3). Samples from the first 15-month deployment period, which started in 2015, were analyzed for legacy and emerging chemicals including polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides, polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants, organophosphate ester, flame retardants, and polycyclic aromatic compounds - including parent and alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and dibenzothiophenes. The results represent the first baseline data for Sri Lanka, against which data from future monitoring intervals will be compared to assess effectiveness of domestic and international control measures on POPs and emerging chemicals.