Atmospheric emissions and long-range transport of persistent organic chemicals

Abstract

Abstract. Persistent organic chemicals include several groups of halogenated compounds, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs), and polyfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs). These chemicals remain for long times (years to decades) in the environment and cycle between different media (air, water, sediment, soil, vegetation, etc.). The environmental distribution of this type of chemicals can conveniently be analyzed by multimedia models. Multimedia models consist of a set of coupled mass balance equations for the environmental media considered; they can be set up at various scales from local to global. Two applications of multimedia models to airborne chemicals are discussed in detail: the day-night cycle of PCBs measured in air near the surface, and the atmospheric long-range transport of volatile precursors of PFCAs, formation of PFCAs by oxidation of these precursors, and subsequent deposition of PFCAs to the surface in remote regions such as the Arctic.

Emissions of organic pollutants from traffic and roads: Priority pollutants selection and substance flow analysis

“…Many OPs are persistent to degradation, capable of bioaccumulation in fat tissue, and have the ability to travel long distances through water-air-soil systems and cause negative effects on animal and human health ( UN-ECE, 1998a). Although certain OPs are subject to long-range transport, and have been detected in remote areas far from where they are produced and used (Oehme and Manø, 1984;Scheringer, 2010), urban areas are the most important sinks for organic pollutants (Björklund et al, 2011;Eriksson, 2002). Urban areas are affected by pollutants emitted from activities such as transportation, commerce, construction and combustion.…”