Seasonal trend of particulate PAHs at Gosan, a background site in Korea between 2001 and 2002 and major factors affecting their levels

The concentrations of particulate Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured at Gosan, a background site in Korea for 1 year between November 2001 and November 2002. The total concentrations of 14 PAH compounds at Gosan were between 0.52 and 14.76 ng m^− 3 and about 3–15 times higher than those at other rural or remote sites in the world. Seasonal trend was observed for particulate PAHs concentrations at Gosan with higher levels during heating season due to increased fossil fuel usage and the movement of air parcels from Asian continent. Principal component factor analysis (PCF) for PAHs showed three factors; combination of coal combustion and vehicular emission, natural gas combustion, and unidentified one. However, PCF for the combined data of PAHs, inorganic ions, and elements revealed that the unidentified factor consists of crustal species, sea salts, and four PAH compounds. Thus, this factor is thought to be transport of crustal species with organics from combustion sources. The major variables which determine the sources of PAHs are the heating season and the movement of air parcels from Asian continent.     

Concentration and gas/particle partitioning of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at an industrial site at Bursa, Turkey

Gas and particle phase concentrations of atmospheric polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured at an urban/industrial site in the city of Bursa, Turkey. PCB concentration levels were presented between July 2004 and May 2005. Average particle and gas phase concentrations of individual PCB congeners ranged from 0.08 (PCB-183) to 6.86 (PCB-49) pg m^− 3 and from 0.01 (PCB-209) to 47.2 (PCB-33) pg m^− 3, respectively. The mean concentration of total (gas + particle) PCBs varied between 24.27 and 666.21 pg m^− 3 with an average of 287.27 ± 174.80 pg m^− 3. PCB concentrations at the sampling site were higher than the concentrations reported at non-urban sites. PCBs partitioned between gas and particle phases and the partitioning was examined according to different approaches such as logK_p–logP_L^o, logK_p–logK_OA and the Junge–Pankow model. In order to present possible interactions, a correlation matrix based on PCB congeners and meteorological parameters was constructed. Application of the Clausius–Clapeyron equation yielded a low slope value indicating possible emissions from local and regional sources originating mainly from urban/industrial areas, landfill and waste incineration plant. Then, likely dry deposition fluxes were estimated depending on reported dry deposition velocity and atmospheric concentration values.