Patterns Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Research Articles

Comparison of Sedimentary PAHs in the Rivers of Ammer (Germany) and Liangtan (China): Differences between Early- and Newly-Industrialized Countries

As a proxy to trace the impact of anthropogenic activity, sedimentary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are compared between the early industrialized and newly industrialized countries of Germany and China, respectively. Surface sediment samples in the Ammer River of Germany and the Liangtan River of China were collected to compare concentration levels, distribution patterns, and diagnostic plots of sedimentary PAHs. Total concentrations of 16 PAHs in Ammer sediments were significantly higher by a factor of ~4.5 than those in Liangtan. This contrast agrees with an extensive literature survey of PAH levels found in Chinese versus European sediments. Distribution patterns of PAHs were similar across sites in the Ammer River, whereas they were highly varied in the Liangtan River. Pyrogenic sources dominated in both cases. Strong correlations of the sum of 16 PAHs and PAH groups with TOC contents in the Liangtan River may indicate coemission of PAHs and TOC. Poor correlations of PAHs with TOC in the Ammer River indicate that other factors exert stronger influences. Sedimentary PAHs in the Ammer River are primarily attributed to input of diffuse sources or legacy pollution, while sediments in the Liangtan River are probably affected by ongoing point source emissions. Providing further evidence of a more prolonged anthropogenic influence are the elevated black carbon fractions in sedimentary TOC in the Ammer compared to the Liangtan. This implies that the Liangtan River, like others in newly industrialized regions, still has a chance to avoid legacy pollution of sediment which is widespread in the Ammer River and other European waterways.

Detailed study of distribution patterns of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and isocyanates under different fire conditions

This study has examined the distribution patterns between gas phase and particle phase of some chemical compounds produced in fires. It has also addressed the question of the distribution of individual particle-associated species between the different size-ranges of particles. The chemical compounds studied and discussed in this paper are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and isocyanates. The steady-state tube furnace, ISO/TS 19700, was chosen as the physical fire model in order to study the production of particles from different types of fire exposure, that is, oxidative pyrolysis, well-ventilated flaming fires and under-ventilated flaming post-flashover fires. Two materials were chosen for investigation, a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) carpet and a wood board. The particle production from the two materials investigated varied concerning both the amounts produced and the particle size distributions. The analysis of PAHs showed that volatile PAHs were generally dominant. However, when the toxicity of the individual species was taken into account, the relative importance between volatile and particle-associated PAHs shifted the dominance to particle-bound PAH for both materials. The substantial degradation in the tests of the low polyurethane content of the PVC carpet, and the (4,4′-methylenediphenyl diisocyanate)-based binder in the wood board resulted in no or very small amount of quantifiable diisocyanates. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils from the Tibetan Plateau, China: distribution and influence of environmental factors

Thirty four sampling sites along an elevation transect in the Tibetan Plateau region were chosen. Soil cores were divided into several layers and a total of 175 horizon soil samples were collected from July to September 2011, for determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The measured PAHs concentration in surface soils was 56.26 ± 45.84 ng g(-1), and the low molecular weight PAHs (2-3 rings) predominated, accounting for 48% and 35%. We analyzed the spatial (altitudinal and vertical) distribution of PAHs in soil, and explored the influence of related environmental factors. Total organic carbon (TOC) showed a controlling influence on the distribution of PAHs. PAH concentrations declined with soil depth, and the composition patterns of PAHs along soil depth indicated that the heavy PAHs tended to remain in the upper layers (0-10 cm), while the light fractions were transported downward more easily. PAHs inventories (8.77-57.92 mg m(-2)) for soil cores increased with mean annual precipitation, while the topsoil concentrations decreased with it. This implies that an increase in precipitation could transfer more PAHs from the atmosphere to the soil and further transport PAHs from the topsoil to deeper layers.

Enhanced extraction of PAHs hindered in fly ashes with supercritical water

Many polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which are toxic and suspected carcinogens are frequently found in incineration fly ashes. However, there is a lack of quality data on the levels of PAHs in fly ashes primarily due to the fact that the conventional Soxhlet extraction fails to yield significant recovery of any of the PAHs from fly ashes. With the supercritical water (SCW) at 673K and 240bar, PAHs hindered in fly ashes containing a wide range (0.1–21%) of unburned carbon can be extracted, which gives a more detailed finger-print PAH pattern. The extraction efficiencies of PA, BbF, BaP, and BghiP from the incineration fly ash with SCW are greater than those with Soxhlet extraction by 15, 25, 56, and 13 times, respectively. The relatively high extraction efficiency of PAHs from the fly ashes with SCW may be mainly associated with the solvent property (i.e., dielectric constant). In addition, as the unburned-carbon contents in fly ashes increase, more PAHs (NaP excluded) can be extracted.

Distribution pattern of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in particle-size fractions of coking plant soils from different depth

The concentrations of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in four size fractions (<2, 2-20, 20-200, >200 μm) in soils at different depth from a heavily contaminated crude benzol production facility of a coking plant were determined using GC-MS. Vertically, elevated total PAHs concentrations were observed in the soils at 3.0-4.5 m (layer B) and 6.0-7.5 m (layer C), relatively lower at 1.5-3.0 m (layer A) and 10.5-12.0 m (layer D). At all sampling sites, the silt (2-20 μm) contained the highest PAHs concentration (ranged from 726 to 2,711 mg/kg). Despite the substantial change in PAHs concentrations in soils with different particle sizes and lithologies, PAHs composition was similarly dominated by 2-3 ring species (86.5-98.3 %), including acenaphthene, fluorene, and phenanthrene. For the contribution of PAHs mass in each fraction to the bulk soil, the 20-200 μm size fraction had the greatest accumulation of PAHs in loamy sand layers at 1.0-7.5 m, increasing with depth; while in deeper sand layer at 10.5-12.0 m, the >200 μm size fraction showed highest percentages and contributed 81 % of total PAHs mass. For individual PAH distribution, the 2-3 ring PAHs were highly concentrated in the small size fraction (<2 and 2-20 μm); the 4-6 ring PAHs showed the highest concentrations in the 2-20 μm size fraction, increasing with depth. The distribution of PAHs was primarily determined by the sorption on soil organic matter and the characteristics of PAHs. This research should have significant contribution to PAH migration study and remediation design for PAHs-contaminated sites.

PAHs concentration and toxicity in organic solvent extracts of atmospheric particulate matter and sea sediments

The concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the toxicity to marine bacteria (Vibrio fischeri) were measured for the organic solvent extracts of sea sediments collected from an urban watershed area (Hiroshima Bay) of Japan and compared with the concentrations and toxicity of atmospheric particulate matter (PM). In atmospheric PM, the PAHs concentration was highest in fine particulate matter (FPM) collected during cold seasons. The concentrations of sea sediments were 0.01-0.001 times those of atmospheric PM. 1/EC50 was 1-10 L g(-1) PM for atmospheric PM and 0.1-1 L g(-1) dry solids for sea sediments. These results imply that toxic substances from atmospheric PM are diluted several tens or hundreds of times in sea sediments. The ratio of the 1/EC50 to PAHs concentration ((1/EC50)/16PAHs) was stable for all sea sediments (0.1-1 L μg(-1) 16PAHs) and was the same order of magnitude as that of FPM and coarse particulate matter (CPM). The ratio of sediments collected from the west was more similar to that of CPM while that from the east was more similar to FPM, possibly because of hydraulic differences among water bodies. The PAHs concentration pattern analyses (principal component analysis and isomer ratio analysis) were conducted and the results showed that the PAHs pattern in sea sediments was quite different to that of FPM and CPM. Comparison with previously conducted PAHs analyses suggested that biomass burning residues comprised a major portion of these other sources.

Establishing in vitro shoot culture of potato for cryogenic bank development in Kazakhstan

Mixed crude palm oil (MCPO), the mixture of palm fiber oil and palm kernel oil, has become of great interest as a renewable energy source. It can be easily extracted from whole dried palm fruits. In the present work, the degummed, deacidified MCPO was blended in petroleum diesel at portions of 30% and 40% by volume and then tested in agricultural diesel engines for long term usage. The particulates from the exhaust of the engines were collected every 500 hr using a four-stage cascade air sampler. The 50% cut-off aerodynamic diameters for the first three stages were 10, 2.5 and 1 μm, while the last stage collected all particles smaller than 1 μm. Sixteen particle bounded polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed using a high performance liquid chromatography. The results indicated that the size distribution of particulate matter was in the accumulation mode and the pattern of total PAHs associated with fine-particles (< 1 μm) showed a dominance of larger molecular weight PAHs (4–6 aromatic rings), especially pyrene. The mass median diameter, PM and total PAH concentrations decreased when increasing the palm oil content, but increased when the running hours of the engine were increased. In addition, Commercial petroleum diesel (PB0) gave the highest value of carcinogenic potency equivalent (BaPeq) for all particle size ranges. As the palm oil was increased, the BaPeq decreased gradually. Therefore the degummed-deacidified MCPO blends are recommended for diesel substitute.

Source apportionment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments of the Bohai Sea, China

A total of 112 surface sediment samples covering virtually the entire Bohai Sea were analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), in order to provide the extensive information of recent occurrence levels, distribution, possible sources, and potential biological risk of these compounds in this area. Surface sediment samples were collected from the Bohai Sea using a stainless steel grab sampler. Sixteen PAHs were determined by a Finnigan TRACE DSQ gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Diagnostic ratios, cluster analysis, and principal component analysis (PCA) with multivariate linear regression (MLR) were performed to identify and quantitatively apportion the major sources of sedimentary PAHs in the Bohai Sea. Concentrations of total PAHs in the Bohai Sea ranged widely from 97.2 to 300.7 ng/g (mean, 175.7 ± 37.3 ng/g). High concentrations of PAHs were found in the vicinity of Luan River Estuary-Qinhuangdao Harbor, Cao River Estuary-Bohai Sea Center, and north of the Yellow River Estuary. The three-ring PAHs were most abundant, accounting for about 37 ± 5 % of total PAHs. The four-ring and five-ring PAHs were the next dominant ones comprising approximately 29 ± 7 and 23 ± 3 % of total PAHs, respectively. Concentrations of acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, and dibenz[a,h]anthracene are higher than Canadian interim marine sediment quality guideline values at most of the sites in the study area. Contamination levels of PAHs in the Bohai Sea were low in comparison with other coastal sediments in China and developed countries. The distribution pattern of PAHs and source identification implied that PAH contamination in the Bohai Sea mainly originates from petrogenic and pyrogenic sources. Further PCA/MLR analysis suggested that the contributions of spilled oil products (petrogenic), coal combustion, and traffic-related pollution were 39, 38, and 23 %, respectively. Pyrogenic sources (coal combustion and traffic-related pollution) contributed 61 % of anthropogenic PAHs to sediments, which indicates that energy consumption could be a dominant factor in PAH pollution in this area. Acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, and dibenz[a,h]anthracene are the three main species of PAHs with more ecotoxicological concern in the Bohai Sea.

Coking wastewater treatment plant as a source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to the atmosphere and health-risk assessment for workers

PAHs were identified and some of them were determined in the air around a coking wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) using passive air samplers. Seventy seven PAHs were found in the emissions from the degreasing tanks, the aeration tanks and the secondary clarifiers. ∑PAH concentrations within the plant (373.3±27.3–12959.5±685.9ng/m3) were 3–41 times higher compared to the reference sites (315.7±50.2–363.4±77.5ng/m3). The identification of numerous PAHs and high concentrations of these selected ones in the air of the studied sites indicated that the coking WWTP was a new source of atmospheric PAHs. Variations in the PAH pattern were observed in air within the coking WWTP. For example, Flu and Pyr accounted for 35–46% of the total contents at the degreasing tanks, but less than 10% at the hydrolytic tanks. The calculation of the diagnostic ratios suggested that PAHs in the emissions had the source characters of coal combustion. Furthermore, highly elevated PAH concentrations were determined at the degreasing tanks compared to the other tanks (i.e., aeration tanks and secondary clarifiers) and likely associated with their high concentrations in the coking wastewater and increased volatilization at high water temperature. Health risk assessments were carried out by evaluating the inhalation PAH exposure data. The resultant inhalation exposure levels due to TEQBaP for workers ranged from 1.6±0.6 to 71.2±8.2ng/m3, and the estimated lung cancer risks were between 0.1×10−3±0.1×10−4 and 5.2×10−3±0.5×10−3, indicating PAHs in the air around the degreasing tanks and the aerobic tanks would have potential lung cancer risk for the operating workers.

Searching ingredients polluted by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in feeds due to atmospheric or pyrolytic sources

The primary aim of the proposed work is to propose the potential sources of pollution by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in feeds and ingredients. To reach this propose the development of a simple, fast, quantitative and economic method for determining PAHs using liquid-liquid extraction (LLE), clean-up and detection by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (LC-FD) in polluting feeds and ingredients was developed. The overall method quantification limits range from 0.020 to 4.0μg/kg and analyte recoveries are between 70% and 105% with relative standard deviations (RSD) lower than 20%.Molecular patterns of PAHs were used to study their distribution in the selected samples by cluster analysis, separating them in two groups: contaminated by atmospheric or pyrolytic sources. In order to find a relationship between the nutritional composition (protein, fibre, ash and fat content), and the hypothetical toxicity of selected feeds, a partial least squared (PLS) analysis was used, showing that fibre was a major contributor. Moreover, the complete data set of 27 feed samples and 25 feed ingredients x 13 PAH concentrations were analysed by PCA to find out what ingredients were controlling PAH pollution.

Factors affecting the level and pattern of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at Gosan, Korea during a dust period

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in both gas and total suspended particles were measured at Gosan, Jeju Island in Korea, a remote background site, for 15 days (March 29–April 12, 2002). During the sampling period, a severe three-day Asian dust (AD) event originating from Mongolia and northern China was observed throughout the Korean Peninsula and Jeju Island. In addition, pollution (PO) and normal (NO) periods were also identified based on the levels of anthropogenic pollutants. Despite a large difference of PM10 concentrations between the AD and PO periods, the levels of particulate PAHs in both periods were comparable (2.7±1.0 and 2.4±0.5ngm−3, respectively) since they were determined by the concentration of anthropogenic PM2.5 transported from industrial areas of China. In the AD period, the level of gaseous PAHs, which were mostly from local sources, was the lowest due to strong winds; the gas/particle partitioning was close to equilibrium as the effect of long-range transport was manifested. The results of backward air trajectories, correlation analysis, and diagnostic ratios show that long-range transport of particulate PAHs produced by coal/biomass burning in China could strongly affect the levels and patterns of PAHs at Gosan, Korea.

Distribution of PAHs in tissues of wetland plants and the surrounding sediments in the Chongming wetland, Shanghai, China

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentrations were determined in sediments and three types of wetland plants collected from the intertidal flats in the Chongming wetland. The concentration of total PAHs in sediments ranged from 38.7 to 136.2ngg−1. Surface sediment concentrations were higher in regions with plant cover than in bare regions. Rhizome-layer sediments (56.8–102.4ngg−1) contained less PAHs than surface sediments (0–5cm). Concentrations of PAHs in plant tissues ranged from 51.9 to 181.2ngg−1, with highest concentrations in the leaves of Scirpus. Most of the PAHs in the leaves and other plant tissues were low molecular weight compounds (LMW, 2–4 rings), and a similar distribution pattern of PAHs in different types of plants was also observed. Source analysis indicated that plants and sediments both came from pyrogenic sources, but plants had additional petroleum contamination. The low ratio of benzo[a]anthracene over chrysene suggests that the wetland PAHs came mainly from long-distance atmospheric transportation. Significant bioaccumulation of PAHs from the sediments into plants was not observed for high molecular weight PAHs (HMW, 5–6 rings) in Chongming wetland. The small RCFs (root concentration factor from sediments) for HMW PAHs and large RCFs for LMW PAHs suggested that roots accumulated LMW PAHs selectively from sediments in Chongming wetland.

Spatial distribution and seasonal variation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contaminations in surface water from the Hun River, Northeast China

The objectives of this study were to investigate the levels, dispersion patterns, seasonal variation, and sources of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (16 EPA-PAHs) in the Hun River of Liaoning Province, China. Samples of surface water were collected from upstream to downstream locations, and also from the main tributaries of the Hun River in dry period, flood period, and level period, respectively. After appropriate preparation, all samples were analyzed for 16 EPA-PAHs. Total PAHs concentrations varied from 124.55 to 439.27 ng l(-1) in surface water in dry period, 1,615.75 to 5,270.04 ng l(-1) in flood period, and 2,247.42 to 7,767.9 ng l(-1) in level period. The 16 EPA-PAHs concentrations were significantly increased in the order of level period > flood period > dry period. The composition pattern of PAHs in surface water was dominated by low molecular weight PAHs, in particular two- to three-ring PAHs. In addition, two-ring PAH accounted for 39.33 to 88.27 % of the total PAHs in level period. Low molecular weight PAHs predomination together with higher levels of PAHs in flood and level period suggested a relatively recent local source of PAHs. Special PAHs ratios such as phenanthrene/anthracene and fluoranthene/pyrene indicated that under dry weather season conditions, the PAHs found in surface water were primarily from petrogenic source, while under wet weather season conditions they were from mixed source of both petrogenic inputs and combustion sources. The comparison of PAHs contamination among different types of areas in China suggested that atmospheric depositions might be the most important approaches of PAHs into water system. Although the Hun River exists low PAHs ecological risk now, potential toxic effects will be existed in the future especially in flood and level period.

Persistent organic pollutants in coastal sediment off South China in relation to the importance of anthropogenic inputs

Surface sediments collected from the coastal region off South China were analyzed for persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). The concentrations of BDE-209, Σ(12)PBDE, Σ(15)PAH, Σ(7)PAH, and Σ(11)OCP were 0.22 to 26.3, 0.01 to 0.77, 13.9 to 271, 6 to 133, and 0.9 to 104 ng/g, respectively. The spatial distribution patterns of PBDEs and PAHs suggested that the eastern coastal region was slightly more contaminated than the western coast. In addition, the concentrations of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites (DDXs) were highly variable, with the highest level found at a site in Zhanjiang Bay, which might have been reflective of the impact of antifouling paints mainly used in boat maintenance in harbor areas. The predominance of BDE-209 in the study region was consistent with the usage pattern of penta-, octa-, and deca-BDEs in China, whereas sediment PAHs appeared to have been derived largely from coal or wood and petroleum combustion. Preliminary assessments indicated that terrestrial inputs, such as atmospheric transport and riverine runoff, may have been the major input pathways for PBDEs and PAHs, respectively, to accumulate in coastal sediment off South China. Conversely, residues of DDT-containing antifouling paints associated with shipping activities and boat maintenance accounted for most of the accumulated sediment DDTs.

Distribution and Sources of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Sediment of Bushehr Coastal Zone-Iran

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentrations in sediments were measured from five 1 1 concentration in studied stations (P 0.05). Based on the number of aromatic rings in the molecular structure, the composition pattern of PAHs was different within studied stations. The studied stations received their PAHs from both petrogenic and pyrolitic sources. The level of PAHs contamination in the Bushehr coastline founded to be moderate to high compared to other studied locations. Regular monitoring of PAHs contaminant in the region is recommended.

Source apportionment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface sediments of the Rizhao coastal area (China) using diagnostic ratios and factor analysis with nonnegative constraints

In this study, sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) found in surface sediments of the Rizhao coastal area (China) were apportioned using diagnostic ratios and factor analysis with nonnegative constraints (FA-NNC). Bivariate plots of selected diagnostic ratios showed that the sources of PAHs identified in surface sediments seemed to be mixed sources dominated by petroleum-related. Literature PAH source profiles were modified based on the first-order degradation reaction in the atmosphere and sediments, and were considered as comparison for source identification. Five significant factors were determined with the diagnostic tools including coefficient of determination, cumulative percent variance and Exner function. By visually comparing PAH patterns and from the sum of squares of differences between modeled and modified literature PAH profiles, the potential sources were apportioned with the FA-NNC. The main contribution sources of PAHs originated from diesel engine (27.22%), followed by traffic emission (25.03%), gasoline engine (18.95%), coal power plant (14.77%) and coal residential (14.03%). Energy consumption was the predominant reason for PAH pollution in that region.

Occurrence and accumulation patterns of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and synthetic musk compounds in adipose tissues of Korean females

Very few studies have reported on the occurrence and accumulation profiles of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and synthetic musk compounds (SMCs) in human adipose tissue. In this study, concentrations of PAHs and SMCs in adipose tissues collected from Korean women in 2007 and 2008 were determined. Total concentrations of PAHs and SMCs in adipose tissues ranged from 15 to 361 (mean: 119) ng g –1 lipid weight and from 38 to 253 (mean: 106) ng g –1 lipid weight, respectively. Concentrations of SMCs in Korean adipose tissues were lower than those reported for European countries and the United States. Naphthalene was the most predominant PAH and HHCB was the dominant SMC found in adipose tissues. The concentrations of PAHs and SMCs were not correlated with each other, suggesting that the sources of human exposure to these two classes of compounds are different. No correlation was found between donor’s age and residue levels of PAHs and SMCs. The results of this study provide baseline information on exposure of PAHs and SMCs to the general population in Korea.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in background air in central Europe – Seasonal levels and limitations for source apportionment

Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was applied on a large dataset of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations determined in air at the central European background monitoring site Košetice, Czech Republic. The long-term (1996–2009) PAH median concentration in Košetice is about 6 times higher during winter than summer months. As the source apportionment of these pollutants is accompanied by concerns regarding the loss of the source signature during atmospheric transport, PMF was run on two winter PAH concentration data subsets stratified according to different ambient levels of oxidants. It is suggested, that the typical ambient air PAH pattern is largely preserved on a regional transport scale in winter in central Europe. However, the allocation of PMF model factors to particular PAH source categories (e.g., road traffic, residential wood combustion, residential and industrial coal combustion) could not be achieved due to (a) a high similarity of reference PAH profiles among each other and (b) variability in ambient reference PAH profiles. It is suggested, that the commonly studied set of EPA PAHs is not source category specific and thus not suitable for source apportionment. PAH source apportionment using more specific PAH and non-PAH markers is recommended.

First field application of a thermal desorption resonance-enhanced multiphoton-ionisation single particle time-of-flight mass spectrometer for the on-line detection of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

The on-line analysis of single aerosol particles with mass spectrometrical methods is an important tool for the investigation of aerosols. Often, a single laser pulse is used for one-step laser desorption/ionisation of aerosol particles. Resulting ions are detected with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. With this method, the detection of inorganic compounds is possible. The detection of more fragile organic compounds and carbon clusters can be accomplished by separating the desorption and the ionisation in two steps, e.g. by using two laser pulses. A further method is, using a heated metal surface for thermal desorption of aerosol particles. If an ultraviolet laser is used for ionisation, a selective ionisation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and alkylated PAH is possible via a resonance-enhanced multiphoton-ionisation process. Laser velocimetry allows individual laser triggering for single particles and additionally delivers information on aerodynamic particle diameters. It was shown that particles deriving from different combustion sources can be differentiated according to their PAH patterns. For example, retene, a C(4)-alkylated phenanthrene derivative, is a marker for the combustion of coniferous wood. In this paper, the first field application of a thermal desorption resonance-enhanced multiphoton-ionisation single particle time-of-flight mass spectrometer during a measurement campaign in Augsburg, Germany in winter 2010 is presented. Larger PAH-containing particles (i.e. with aerodynamic diameters larger than 1 μm), which are suspected to be originated by re-suspension processes of agglomerated material, were in the focus of the investigation. Due to the low concentration of these particles, an on-line virtual impactor enrichment system was used. The detection of particle-bound PAH in ambient particles in this larger size region was possible and in addition, retene could be detected on several particles, which allows to identify wood combustion as generic source of these particles. The observed diurnal distribution of these larger particles, however, support the origin by traffic induced re-suspension of sedimented/agglomerated material.

Seasonal Gradient Patterns of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Particulate Matter Concentrations near a Highway

Close proximity to roadways has been associated with higher exposure to traffic-related air pollutants. However, analyses of the effects of season and meteorological parameters on horizontal gradient patterns of traffic-generated air pollutants still need to be elucidated. Our objectives were to: (1) determine effects of season on horizontal gradient patterns of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), total suspended particles (TSP), and PM2.5 near a heavily trafficked highway; and (2) examine the effect of day-of-the-week variations (weekday versus weekend) associated with traffic counts on measured airborne-contaminant levels. PAHs (Σ8PAHs [MW 228–278]; gas + particulate), TSP and PM2.5 were monitored at nominal distances (50, 100, and 150 m) from the New Jersey Turnpike every 6 days for periods of 24 h, between September 2007 and September 2008. Seasonal variations in the horizontal gradient patterns of Σ8PAHs were observed. In the summer, Σ8PAHs declined significantly between 50–100 m from the highway (23% decrease), but not between the furthermost distances (100–150 m). An inverse pattern was observed in the winter: Σ8PAHs declined between 100–150 m (26% decrease), but not between the closest distances. Σ8PAHs and TSP, but not PM2.5, concentrations measured on weekends were 12–37% lower than those on weekdays, respectively, corresponding to lower diesel traffic volume. This study suggests that people living in the close proximity to highways may be exposed to varying levels of Σ8PAHs, TSP, and PM2.5 depending on distance to highway, season, and day-of-the-week variations.