The occurrence of semivolatile persistent organic pollutants in ambient air in selected areas of slovakia

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hexachloro‐benzene (HCB) and p,p'‐DDE were analysed in ambient air collected in 1995—96 at 17 sampling sites situated in industrial, agricultural and forest areas. The concentrations of total PAHs (16 USEPA congeners) and seven carcinogenic congeners varied from 36 (a forest background location) to 689 ng m‐3 (in the vicinity of an iron and steel mill) and from 3.9 to 84 n gm‐3 , respectively. The highest total PCB concentrations were found in a town where PCBs were produced (11.3 ng m‐3), and at localities with heavy traffic (4.4 ng m‐3) and aluminium production (4.2 ngm‐3) while in agricultural areas they reached only 0.24 ngm‐3. In contrast, ambient air samples taken in agricultural areas contained the highest HCB levels (up to 4.7 ngm‐3). DDE concentrations were about 10‐times lower and ranged from 0.032 to 0.87 ngm‐3.