Particle-associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their dry deposition fluxes from a bus-station in the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area, Brazil

Abstract

Total particulate matter and PM10 samples were collected from August 2006 to February 2007 in Mayor José Carlos Lacerda bus station. 16 priority PAHs compounds emitted by heavy-duty vehicles on typical conditions of operation were analyzed by using GC/MS. ΣPAH accounted for 0.0018% of the TSP mass and 0.0012% of the PM10 mass. Total PAH contents on the particle phase were 3.57 ng m-3 and 2.59 ng m-3 for TSP and PM10, respectively. Contributions of carcinogenic USEPA priority PAHs (B[a]An, B[b]F, B[k]F, B[a]Py, IPy and DB[ah]A) were 1.86 ng m-3 (52% of total PAHs) and 1.40 ng m-3 (54% of total PAHs), for TSP and PM10 samples, respectively. Diagnostic ratios and multivariate statistical analysis were, in general, similar to those reported for soil dust except for the Flt/Flt+Py) ratio, 0.34, compatible with diesel emissions. Dry deposition fluxes were in the range of 0.022-0.603 and 0.016-0.436 μg m-2 day-1 for compounds in TSP and PM10, respectively.