No abstract

Airborne particulates were collected simultaneously at Vladivostok, Kanazawa and Toyama. 1,3-, 1,6-, 1,8-Dinitropyrenes (DNPs), 1-, 2-, 4-nitropyrenes (NPs), 2-nitrofluorene and 6-nitrochrysene in the particulates were analyzed by HPLC with chemiluminescence detection. All compounds were detected not only in Kanazawa but also in Vladivostok and Toyama. Moreover, five unknown peaks which might be nitropolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were detected only in chromatograms of Vladivostok. The [DNPs]/[1-NP] ratios at all stations were near the value found in diesel-exhaust particulates, suggesting that one of the main contributors of these compounds was dieselengine vehicles not only in Kanazawa and Toyama but also in Vladivostok. However, the difference in traffic volume at two stations in Vladivostok did not have a significant effect on the concentrations of DNPs and NPs in contrast to two stations in Kanazawa. These results suggested sources other than diesel-engine vehicles also contributing to DNPs and NPs in Vladivostok. Seasonal variations similar to those in Kanazawa were observed in Vladivostok and Toyama. As in Kanazawa, the [2-NP]/[1-NP] ratio in Vladivostok was larger at the lighter traffic station than that at heavier traffic station. This suggested that, as in Kanazawa, 2-NP was formed in the atmosphere in Vladivostok.

Surface water samples were collected at 15 sampling sites in the southeastern Japan Sea along the Japanese Archipelago for analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Water samples were fractionated by filtration through a glass fiber membrane (pore size 0.5 µm) and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Thirteen PAHs having 3 to 6 rings were found in the dissolved phase (DP) and 12 were found in the particulate phase (PP). The total (DP PP) PAH concentration ranged from 6.83 to 13.81 ng/L with the mean standard deviation (S.D.) concentration of 9.36 1.92 ng/L. The mean S.D. PAH concentration in the DP and PP was 5.99 1.80 and 3.38 0.65 ng/L, respectively. Three-ring PAHs predominated in the DP, while the proportion of 4-ring PAHs was higher in the PP. The mean total PAH concentration in the southeastern Japan Sea was higher than the concentration in the northwestern Japan Sea (8.5 ng/L). The Tsushima Current, which originates from the East China Sea with higher PAH concentration, is considered to be responsible for this higher concentration.

No abstract

Total suspended particulate matter (TSP) was collected during the summer and winter in five cities in China (Shenyang, Beijing, and Shanghai), Russia (Vladivostok), and Korea (Busan) from 1997 to 2014. Nine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with four to six rings, including pyrene (Pyr) and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Two nitropolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs), 1-nitropyrene (1-NP) and 6-nitrobenzo[a]pyrene (6-NBaP), were also determined using high-performance liquid chromatography with online reduction/chemiluminescence detection. Two Chinese cities, Beijing and Shenyang, showed very high concentrations of total PAHs (ΣPAH) and total NPAHs (ΣNPAH) with a large seasonal difference (winter > summer), although the concentrations decreased over time. In both cities, maximum mean concentrations of ΣPAH over 200 ng m−3 were observed in the winter. In Beijing, an increase in the ΣPAH concentration was observed in the winter of 2010, which was after the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The [1-NP]/[Pyr] ratio, a diagnostic parameter for source, was smaller in the winter than in the summer over the monitoring period, suggesting a large contribution of coal heating systems in the winter. In Vladivostok, concentrations of ΣPAH and ΣNPAH were lower than in the above two Chinese cities. The [1-NP]/[Pyr] ratio was larger than in the above Chinese cities even in the winter, suggesting that the contribution of coal combustion facilities, such as power plants for heating, was not very large. In Shanghai and Busan, concentrations of ΣPAH and ΣNPAH were much lower than in the above three cities. At the beginning of the monitoring periods, the [1-NP]/[Pyr] ratios, which were as large as those of Japanese commercial cities, suggested a large contribution from automobiles. After that, the contribution of automobiles decreased gradually. However, BaP concentrations were still over 1 ng m−3 in all cities monitored in China, Russia, and Korea, suggesting that the urban air pollution of PAHs and NPAHs in these regions should not be ignored.