Local and seasonal variations in concentrations of chlorinated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons associated with particles in a Japanese megacity

Abstract

Concentrations of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and chlorinated PAHs (ClPAHs) were measured in different seasons at five sampling stations in Nagoya, a Japanese megacity. The annual mean total ClPAH and total PAH concentrations were 43.3–92.6pg/m3 and 5200–8570pg/m3, respectively. The concentrations of total ClPAHs were significantly variable than those of total PAHs, and both total concentrations through the seasons did not significantly correlate at any of the stations. Principal component analysis was used to characterize the ClPAH sources, resulted that ClPAHs were found to be associated with the sources of high-molecular-weight PAHs in the warmer seasons and of low-molecular-weight PAHs in the colder seasons. These findings suggest that principal sources of particle-bound ClPAHs are present in the local area, and change in the seasons. Toxic equivalent (TEQ) concentrations were estimated to assess the risks associated with exposure to ClPAHs in air. The TEQ concentrations in the samples were 0.05–0.32pg-TEQ/m3. The TEQ concentrations in summer were approximately half the TEQ concentrations in the other seasons at all of the stations.