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Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in the coastal New Jersey atmosphere as part of the New Jersey Atmospheric Deposition Network (NJADN). PAH results from the first year of atmospheric sampling (Oct 1997−Oct 1998) at a suburban site near New Brunswick, NJ and a coastal site at Sandy Hook, NJ are presented. PAHs (36) were analyzed at both sites including phenanthrene and benzo[a]pyrene whose concentrations ranged from 0.74 to 20.9 ng/m3 and 0.0020 to 0.62 ng/m3, respectively. PAH concentrations at the suburban site were 2× higher than concentrations measured at the coastal site, consistent with the closer proximity of NB to urban/industrial regions than SH. The seasonal trends of particulate PAH concentrations indicate that PAH sources such as fuel consumption for domestic heating and vehicular traffic drive their seasonal occur rence. While gaseous concentrations of methylated phenanthrenes and pyrene were higher during the winter and similar to high molecular weight PAHs, phenanthrene and fluoranthene show the opposite seasonal trend with concentrations peaking in the summer months. Because temperature accounted for less than 25% of the variability in atmospheric concentrations, seasonal variability could not be attributed to temperature-controlled air-surface exchange. PAH concentrations in the New Jersey coastal atmosphere indicate the importance of local and regional sources originating from urban/industrial areas to the N, NE, and to the SW.

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Atmospheric concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured at urban/industrial, suburban, coastal, and rural areas in New Jersey as part of the New Jersey Atmospheric Deposition Network. Concentrations of 36 PAH compounds were measured in the gas and particle phases in air and in precipitation at nine sites at regular intervals from October 1997 through May 2001. Gas-phase and particle-phase sigma36PAH concentrations ranged from 0.45 to 118 ng m(-3) and from 0.046 to 172 ng m(-3), respectively, and precipitation concentrations ranged from 11 to 16200 ng L(-1). PAH concentrations vary spatially across the region, with the highest concentrations occurring at the most heavily urban and industrial locations. Average gas absorption deposition ranged from 0.004 (naphthacene) to 5040 (methylphenanthrenes) ng m(-2) d(-1), and dry particle deposition PAH fluxes ranged from 0.11 (naphthacene) to 300 (benzo[b+k]fluoranthene) ng m(-2) d(-1) at the nine sites. Average atmospheric wet deposition PAH fluxes at the seven sites ranged from 0.40 (cyclopenta[cd]pyrene) to 140 (methylphenanthrenes) ng m(-2) d(-1). These represent the first comprehensive estimates of PAH deposition to New Jersey and the Mid-Atlantic East Coast.