Ambient air concentrations of PCDD/Fs, coplanar PCBs, PBDD/Fs, and PBDEs and their impacts on vegetation and soil

Abstract

The impact of persistent organic pollutant (POP) concentration in ambient air on vegetation and soil is investigated in the present study. Ambient air, vegetation, and soil samples were collected from the vicinity of an industrial complex. For each collected sample, the polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (coplanar PCBs), brominated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PBDD/Fs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) concentrations were analyzed. Principal component analysis (PCA) was adopted to explore the relationships between the concentration of each POP type in ambient air with those in soil and vegetation. Results show that particle-phase PCDD/Fs, PBDD/Fs, and PBDEs, respectively, account for 60.6, 98.3, and 75.7 % of the total concentration in the air, which are much higher than that of coplanar PCB (5.2 %). Results obtained by PCA suggest that PCDD/Fs in vegetation are contributed by atmospheric gas-phase PCDD/Fs, whereas in soil they are contributed by particle-phase PCDD/Fs. Coplanar PCBs concentrations in both vegetation and soil are contributed by atmospheric gas-phase coplanar PCBs. PBDD/Fs concentrations are both contributed by particle phase. PBDEs in vegetation are contributed by both gas-and particle-phase PBDEs, while soil PBDEs are contributed mainly by the particle phase. In confirmation of these results, the researchers found that the above results are consistent with those obtained from theoretical calculations and previous studies. Therefore, it is concluded that the results obtained from the present study would provide useful information for assessing the fate of ambient air POP concentration.

Atmospheric Deposition Impact of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxin and Dibenzofuran on an Aquatic System in Central Taiwan

“…On the whole, the mass PCDD/F congener profiles of the sediment samples in the fishponds and coastal areas were dominated by more highly chlorinated PCDD/F congeners such as OCDD and OCDF, and similar results were found in the soil samples in the vicinity of an industrial complex and the Antarctic coastal environment (Kuo et al, 2015;Mwangi et al, 2016). The WHO2005-TEQ PCDD/F congener profiles were dominated by the less chlorinated PCDD/F congeners such as 1,2,3,7,3,4,7,.…”

Overview and Perspectives on Emissions of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers on a Global Basis: Evaporative and Fugitive Releases from Commercial PBDE Mixtures and Emissions from Combustion Sources

“…However, the commercial deca-BDE mixtures are still produced and widely used in other regions. PBDEs are ubiquitous in the environment and their occurrence in polar regions highlights the importance of atmospheric transport Chao et al, 2014;Kuo et al, 2015;Mwangi et al, 2016). Emissions related to the commercial PBDE mixtures can occur during production, processing, use of products containing PBDEs, and waste management (e.g., from landfills, incineration, and open burning) (Prevedouros et al, 2004;Sakai et al, 2006;Schenker et al, 2008;Earnshaw et al, 2013).…”

An Overview of PCDD/F Inventories and Emission Factors from Stationary and Mobile Sources: What We Know and What is Missing

“…Many control strategies and policies on PCDD/Fs are closely correlated to PCDD/F inventory, and the government can promulgate relevant PCDD/F regulations and emission standards on the main PCDD/F sources in inventory. The outcomes could be quite apparent, for instance, between reference years 1987 and 2000, there was approximately 89% reduction in the PCDD/F released to the environment of the United States from all known sources combined (US EPA, 2006), and also about 84% reduction in PCDD/F emissions from 327.4 g I-TEQ in 2002 to 52.6 g I-TEQ in 2013 in Taiwan. PCDD/Fs are semi-volatile compounds, and after being emitted from combustion sources, they are distributed in both gaseous and particle phases in the atmosphere (Li et al, 2008b;Chen et al, 2011a;Kuo et al, 2015). The partitioning between the two phases is highly dependent on their vapor pressure and the ambient temperature, with more molecules volatizing into the gaseous phase as temperature increases (Fiedler, 1996;Oh et al, 2001).…”