Assessing atmospheric concentration of polychlorinated biphenyls by evergreen Rhododendron maximum next to a contaminated stream

Abstract

Conifers are often used as an air passive sampler, but few studies have focused on the implication of broadleaf evergreens to monitor atmospheric semivolatile organic compounds such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In the present study, the authors used Rhododendron maximum (rhododendron) growing next to a contaminated stream to assess atmospheric PCB concentrations. The present study area was located in a rural setting and approximately 2 km downstream of a former capacitor plant. Leaves from the same mature shrubs were collected in late fall 2010 and winter and spring 2011. Polychlorinated biphenyls were detected in the collected leaves, suggesting that rhododendron can be used as air passive samplers in rural areas where active sampling is impractical. Estimated ΣPCB (47 congeners) concentrations in the atmosphere decreased from fall 2010 to spring 2011 with concentration means at 3990 pg m(-3) , 2850 pg m(-3) , and 931 pg m(-3) in fall 2010, winter 2011, and spring 2011, respectively. These results indicate that the atmospheric concentrations at this location continue to be high despite termination of active discharge from the former industrial source. Leaves had a consistent pattern of high concentrations of tetra-CBs and penta-CBs similar to the congener distribution in polyethylene passive samplers deployed in the water column, suggesting that volatilized PCBs from the stream were the primary source of contaminants in rhododendron leaves. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:2192-2198. © 2016 SETAC.

Aerobic Bioaugmentation to Decrease Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Emissions from Contaminated Sediments to Air

“…Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) remain ubiquitous environmental pollutants decades after sales were banned in the United States in 1979 and globally in 2004 . Inhalation of airborne PCBs could be a significant route of cumulative human exposure for certain vulnerable populations due to emissions from modern, unregulated sources of PCBs and legacy sources, such as PCB-contaminated Superfund sites. − This work focuses on legacy sediment sources. A study found that infants born near New Bedford Harbor during dredging operations had consistently higher PCB levels in umbilical cord serum than infants born after dredging .…”