Atmospheric lifetimes and traveling distances of airborne carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Atmospheric lifetimes and traveling distances of 15 PAHs (Ac: acenaphthylene, Ace: acenaphthene, Ph : phenanthrene, MePh3: 3-methyl-phenanthrene, MePh9: 9-methyl-phenanthrene, MePh1: 1-methyl-phenanthrene, MePh2: 2-methyl-phenanthrene, Ret: retene, Ba]A: benzoa]anthracene, Chry: chrysene, Bb,j,k]F: benzob,j.k] fluoranthene, Be]P: benzoe]pyrene. Ba]P: benzoa]pyrene, Ind: indeno1,2,3-cd]pyrene, Bg,h,i]P: benzog,h, i]perylene) at Whitbourne, UK, were estimated by using the rate constants for reaction with OH, O3 , and the first order rate constants of eight species of high molecular weight PAHs (i. e. Ba]A, Chry, Bb]F, Bk]F, Ba]P, Ind, B g.h,i]P and Ret) as a function of humidity, solar intensity and temperature by using Multiple Regression Analysis. The predicted atmospheric lifetime of Ac, Ace, Ph, MePh3, MePh9, MePh2 and McPh1 ranged between 11. 42 h - 79. 12 h in cold period and 1.31 h - 14. 33 h in warm period respectively. The binary ratios of atmospheric lifetime of Bk]F/Bg.h, i]P, Bk]F/Bg.h,i]P, Bg,h,i]P/lnd and Bk]F/Ind displayed non-significant differences between cold and warm period, indicating that high molecular weight PAHs are difficult to be decomposed by UV light and thus may be conveyed to the rural regions via long range atmospheric transportation (LRAT). The decreased level of the atmospheric lifetime of low molecular weight PAHs in summer can be attributed to an increased level of OH radical content and solar radiation.