Polyurethane foam (PUF) disk passive samplers derived polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) concentrations in the ambient air of Bursa-Turkey: Spatial and temporal variations and health risk assessment

Abstract

Polyurethane foam (PUF) passive samplers were employed to assess air concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in background, agricultural, semi-urban, urban and industrial sites in Bursa, Turkey. Samplers were deployed for approximately 2-month periods from February to December 2014 in five sampling campaign. Results showed a clear rural-agricultural-semi-urban-urban-industrial PCBs concentration gradient. Considering all sampling periods, ambient air concentrations of ΣPCBs ranged from 9.6 to 1240 pg/m at all sites with an average of 24.1 ± 8.2, 43.8 ± 24.4, 140 ± 190, 42.8 ± 24.6, 160 ± 280, 84.1 ± 105, 170 ± 150 and 280 ± 540 pg/m for Mount Uludag, Uludag University Campus, Camlica, Bursa Technical University Osmangazi Campus, Hamitler, Agakoy, Kestel Organised Industrial District and Demirtas Organised Industrial District sampling sites, respectively. The ambient air PCB concentrations increased along a gradient from background to industrial areas by a factor of 1.7-11.4. 4-Cl PCBs (31.50-81.60%) was the most dominant homologue group at all sampling sites followed by 3-Cl, 7-Cl, 6-Cl and 5-Cl homologue groups. Sampling locations and potential sources grouped in principal component analysis. Results of PCA plots highlighted a large variability of the PCB mixture in air, hence possible related sources, in Bursa area. Calculated inhalation risk levels in this study indicated no serious adverse health effects. This study is one of few efforts to characterize PCB composition in ambient air seasonally and spatially for urban and industrial areas of Turkey by using passive samplers as an alternative sampling method for concurrent monitoring at multiple sites.

Passive air sampling for semi-volatile organic chemicals

“…Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts Critical Review like toxicity, some studies similarly calculate a toxic equivalence concentration (TEQ) using the product of the concentrations of the toxic PCDD/Fs, PCBs, and PCNs congeners and their toxic equivalent factors (TEFs), which in turn is used to calculate the TEQ intake by inhalation. 309,312,345,382,416,527 In other studies, the inhalation exposure and risk are estimated for individual substances 285,299 rather than for equivalent concentrations. Some studies performed probabilistic exposure-risk modelling.…”

Progress on the passive air sampling techniques and occurrence of persistent organic pollutants in remote areas

“…SPMD采样器最早被用来监测水环境中的亲脂性 有机物 [34,35] , 直到1993年, Petty等 [36] [38] . Van Drooge等 [22] 将 [25,46,47] , 也可以用于阐述POPs土-气交换行为 等 [48] .…”

Calibration and evaluation of PUF-PAS sampling rates across the Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling (GAPS) network

“…Passive air samplers equipped with polyurethane foam (PUF-PAS) are commonly used to measure and assess atmospheric concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). PUF-PAS samplers have been used to measure regional spatial and temporal trends in urban areas, 1-12 estimate the human exposure potential 1, 9 , and assess the global fate and transport of POPs. 6, 13-16 Despite their widespread use by researchers, PUF-PAS samplers can be subject to significant human error and uncertainty in interpretation.…”

“…9, 13, 14, 17-25 Harner and colleagues have used this method to determine the sampling rates for thousands of samples deployed by the Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling network (GAPS) and published a widely used spreadsheet for calculating sample effective volume from depuration recoveries. 8, 9, 13-15, 22, 26-28 This approach has been shown to be effective as long as the depuration compounds are injected and recovered in a consistent and reproducible way. Unfortunately, consistent and reliable use of these compounds requires skilled personnel and reproducible laboratory methods not always available for sample deployment worldwide.…”