Chlorinated organic compounds in the troposphere over the western North Atlantic Ocean measured by aircraft

Results of 32 individual flights during 1985, 1986 and 1988 using a King Air research aircraft over the western North Atlantic Ocean and the Adirondack Mountains are presented. Measurements were made for selected trace organic compounds including α- and γ-isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), the summed isomers of α- and γ-chlordane, dieldrin and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The concentrations of compounds at altitudes of 300–10,000 ft indicate that these compounds were well mixed in the atmosphere and that for the most part, ground-level and higher-altitude concentrations were similar in magnitude. There was a high degree of variability due to time, meteorological events and location. Concentrations over the Adirondack Mountains in 1985 were the highest measured with means of 0.198 ng m⁻³ for HCB, 0.388 ng m⁻³ for α-HCH, 0.509 ng m⁻³ for γ-HCH, 0.340 ng m⁻³ for dieldrin, 0.480 ng m⁻³ for chlordane and 0.951 ng m⁻³ for total PCBs. Concentrations over the western North Atlantic south-east of Bermuda in summer 1988 wer lower, with means of 0.093 ng m⁻³ for HCB, 0.142 ng m⁻³ for α-HCH, 0.012 ng m⁻³ for γ-HCH, 0.016 ng m⁻³ for dieldrin 0.020 ng m⁻³ for chlordane and 0.600 ng m⁻³ for PCBs. During 1988 concentrations of most of the compounds were similar in the atmosphere of the coastal zone, 50–100 km off the U.S., to those measured near Bermuda. Chlordane, and to a lesser extent dieldrin, showed a decrease in concentration away from North America.     

Upper Yellow River air concentrations of organochlorine pesticides estimated from tree bark, and their relationship with socioeconomic indices

Organochlorine pesticide(OCP) concentrations in tree bark from the upper Yellow River region were determined. Total OCP concentrations ranged from 2.7 to 82 ng/g dw, with a mean of 20 ng/g dw. Concentrations of total(Σ) DDTs(0.49–37 ng/g dw), HCHs(0.55–4.5 ng/g dw), and HCB(0.1–1.0 ng/g dw) were much higher than the other OCPs and accounted for 89% of the ΣOCP concentrations. p,p′-DDT was the dominant member of the DDT pesticide group and-HCH was the dominant HCH isomer. The p,p′-DDT/p,p′-DDE and-HCH/-HCH ratios suggested that there were recent DDT and-HCH releases. OCP concentrations in the air were estimated from the tree bark, and the estimated median ΣDDTs, ΣHCHs, and HCB concentrations in the air were 0.09, 0.14, and 0.024 pg/m3, respectively. The relationship between total OCP concentrations and socioeconomic and natural environment indices were assessed using multiple linear regression analysis, and a regression equation including all these factors was obtained. Population density and tertiary industry were the two dominant factors that appeared to affect OCP concentrations in the upper Yellow River region.     

西安城区大气有机氯农药的污染特征及来源分析

采用大流量主动采样器于2008年7—10月对西安城区大气进行采集,共获得颗粒态和气态样品24个,并对其中含有的17种有机氯农药(OCPs)进行了分析.结果表明:西安城区大气中ρ(α-硫丹)和ρ(β-硫丹)最高,分别为260.7和212.0pg m3,ρ(DDTs)(DDTs=o,p′-DDD+o,p′-DDT+o,p′-DDE+p,p′-DDD+p,p′-DDT+p,p′-DDE)为167.4pgm3,ρ(HCHs)(HCHs=α-HCH+β-HCH+γ-HCH)为199.3pgm3,ρ(trans-氯丹)和ρ(cis-氯丹)分别为104.0和97.3pgm3,ρ(六氯苯)为74.9pgm3,且都主要分布在气相中.来源分析表明,西安大气中DDTs受三氯杀螨醇的影响显著,而HCHs则主要来源于林丹的使用残留.α-HCH,HCB,p,p′-DDE及p,p′-DDT主要受污染物长距离传输影响,而γ-HCH,trans-氯丹,cis-氯丹,α-硫丹和β-硫丹主要受采样点周边地表挥发的影响.     

长江武汉段水体悬浮物中有机氯农药的残留状况

以α-HCH,β-HCH,γ-HCH,δ-HCH,p,p′-DDE,p,p′-DDD,o,p′-DDT,p,p′-DDT和HCB等9种有机氯农药为目标污染物,采用索氏提取和气相色谱法,对长江武汉段水体悬浮物中有机氯农药的残留进行调查分析。调查发现,在长江武汉段水体悬浮物中,六氯苯(HCB)、六六六(HCHs)和滴滴涕(DDTs)类有机氯农药均被检出,其中六氯苯(HCB)在表层沉积物中的残留量(质量分数)为0 37～9 06ng g,平均为2 89ng g;六六六类农药在悬浮物中的残留量(质量分数)为0 23～1 90ng g,平均为0 76ng g;滴滴涕类在悬浮物中的残留量(质量分数)为0 18～4 67ng g,平均为1 31ng g。在长江武汉段水体悬浮物中,HCB,p,p′-DDE和γ-HCH的被检出率和残留量均最高,为主要污染物。      

Levels, distributions, and source identification of organochlorine pesticides in the topsoils in Northeastern China

Seventeen topsoil samples (9 urban, 4 suburban, 3 rural and 1 background) were collected in/around Harbin, a typical city in northeast of China, to measure concentration levels of organocholrine pesticides (OCPs) in topsoil of Northeastern China in 2006. Hexachlorohexanes (HCH), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were detected in soil samples with mean concentrations (in pg/g dry weight (dw)) of 7120, 5425, and 1039, respectively. The mean concentrations for other OCPs were very low, 4.8 pg/g dw for chlordane and 3.3 pg/g dw for endosulfan. Source identification analysis reveals that all OCPs found in soil samples were due to historical use of these chemicals or from other source regions through long- and short-range atmospheric transport. DDT was mainly used in the rural sites, whereas the sources of HCB, chlordane and endosulfan were mainly in the urban area. HCH was found almost equally in both urban and rural area. Soil concentrations of all detected OCPs, except HCHs, in and around Harbin were much lower than those in the southeast of China, which is expected since the use of these OCPs in the former was much lower than that in the latter, however higher HCH concentrations in and around Harbin than those found in most places of the Southeast China is not expected. It is suggested that high HCH concentration in soil of Northeast China was most likely due to long-range atmospheric transport (LRAT) from Southeast China and the cold condensation process.     

Comparison between background concentrations of arsenic in urban and non-urban areas of Florida

Arsenic contamination is of great environmental concern due to its toxic effects as a carcinogen. Knowledge of arsenic background concentrations is important for land application of wastes and for making remediation decisions. The soil clean-up target level for arsenic in Florida (0.8 and 3.7 mg kg⁻¹ for residential and commercial areas, respectively) lies within the range of both background and analytical quantification limits. The objective of this study was to compare arsenic distribution in urban and non-urban areas of Florida. Approximately 440 urban and 448 non-urban Florida soil samples were compared. For urban areas, soil samples were collected from three land-use classes (residential, commercial and public land) in two cities, Gainesville and Miami. For the non-urban areas, samples were collected from relatively undisturbed non-inhabited areas. Arsenic concentrations varied greatly in Gainesville, ranging from 0.21 to approximately 660 mg kg⁻¹ with a geometric mean (GM) of 0.40 mg kg⁻¹, which were lower than Miami samples (ranging from 0.32 to 112 mg kg⁻¹; GM=2.81 mg kg⁻¹). Arsenic background concentrations in urban soils were significantly greater and showed greater variation than those from relatively undisturbed non-urban soils (GM=0.27 mg kg⁻¹) in general.     

北京石景山区夏季大气中有机氯农药的研究

利用气相色谱对北京石景山区大气中气态和总悬浮颗粒物中有机氯农药(OCPs)含量进行了分析测定.结果表明,北京石景山区大气中气态和颗粒物中HCHs、p,p￠- DDT、p,p￠-DDE、p,p￠-DDD、o,p￠-DDT、七氯、氯丹的平均含量分别为:4344.4, 1000.2, 778.0, 213.4, 1319.3, 645.7, 376.6 pg/m3和37.3, 5.3, 0, 0.7, 15.8, 1.6, 0.6 pg/m3,有机氯农药主要以气态存在于大气中.HCHs和DDTs是有机氯农药类污染物的主要成分,两者之和在气态和颗粒物中所占总OCPs的比例分别为87.2%和90.9%.α-HCH/γ-HCH 和p,p’-DDE/p,p’-DDT的浓度比值分别<1.5和<1.0,表明新近该区大气中有γ-HCH和DDT的输入.三氯杀螨醇的使用是环境中DDTs的一个重要来源.     

Biogenic and anthropogenic organic compounds in eolian particulates in the East Mediterranean region—I. Occurrence and origin

Lipids of biogenic and anthropogenic origin were determined in aerosol samples, collected seasonally, in a coastal area on the north of the island of Crete. Lipid classes such as n-alkanes, hopanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, fatty alcohols, fatty acids, fatty acid salts and α,ω-dicarboxylic acids were characterized by GC/MS and GC/FID analysis, in terms of their contents of homologous compound series. The concentrations ranged between 56 and 215 ng m⁻³ for n-alkanes, 10 and 52 ng m⁻³ for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, 2 and 31 ng m⁻³ for fatty alcohols, 13 and 279 ng m⁻³ for fatty acids, 24 and 220 ng m⁻³ for fatty acid salts and 0.4 and 7.5 ng m⁻³ for α, ω-dicarboxylic acid salts. The prevailing winds were influencing the composition of the eolian particles. Generally, aerosols sampled during south wind events predominantly contained lipids originating from higher plants, while when north and northwest winds prevailed the major components were of marine origin. The absence of unsaturated fatty acids in all aerosol samples is related to the presence of α,ω-dicarboxylic acids, which are believed to be their photo-oxidation products.     

Monthly and seasonal trends of total suspended particulate matter and smoke concentration in industrial and residential areas in Cairo

Total suspended particulate (TSP) matter and smoke were investigated at Shoubra El-Kheima industrial area and El-Dokki residential area located in Cairo. TSP gave the highest monthly mean concentration in 2 years' study at Shoubra El-Kheima (895 μg m⁻³), nearly 12 times the geometrical mean of air quality standard (75 μg m⁻³). The corresponding figure at the residential area is 544 μg m⁻³, which is 7.3 concentrations during spring and lower during summer. Smoke concentration in the industrial area was nearly 1.4 and 1.2 times its concentration in the residential area during the 2 study years. Smoke concentration was found to be light to moderate during 86% of the days and heavy to extremely heavy during 14% of the days at the industrial area. The corresponding percentages for the residential area were 90% and 10% for light to moderate and heavy to extremely heavy, respectively.     

若尔盖高原湿地地表水与大气湿沉降中有机氯农药和多氯联苯研究

采用高分辨率气相色谱-高分辨率质谱联用法分析位于青藏高原东缘的若尔盖高原牧场地表水和大气湿沉降中有机氯农药(OCPs)和多氯联苯(PCBs)异构体含量的季节分布特征,探讨持久性有机污染物(POPs)在边远清洁地区的地球化学行为.结果表明,若尔盖地区地表水中∑HCHs、∑DDTs、HCB、∑6PCBs平均浓度分别为0.90,1.36, 0.95,1.35ng/L.大气降水中OCPs和PCBs平均浓度分别为0.363,0.118ng/L,最大值出现在11月初冬的降雪样品中.异构体按平均浓度排序为HCB > PCB28 > p,p’-DDD > p,p’-DDE > α-HCH > γ-HCH.PCBs以PCB28和PCB52为主,除少量的PCB101外,其余高氯代PCB化合物都未在沉降样品中检出.∑HCHs、∑DDTs、∑PCBs的大气沉降通量分别为0.058~0.268,0.087~0.311,0.049~0.188ng/(m2·d).高海拔地区POPs大气沉降模式可分为“海拔梯度降水型”和“高原型”2类.类似于极地冷凝作用,高原型降雪中的POPs的沉积通量高于降雨沉降通量,但持久性较强的PCB138、PCB153和PCB180则缺失.这一结果验证了高空大气远程迁移和局地的高山冷凝效应的区别.     

The personal,indoor and outdoor concentrations of PM-10 measured in an industrial community during the winter

The concentrations of PM-10 were measured for 2 weeks in the winter of 1988 as part of the Total Human Environmental Exposure Study (THEES). Samples were taken simultaneously in a small city, Phillipsburg, NJ for outdoor and indoor microenvironments, and with personal monitors on non-smokers. There were four outdoor sites, eight indoor sites and fourteen individuals wearing personal monitors. The mean concentrations were 66, 48 and 42 μg m⁻³ for the personal, outdoor and indoor sites, respectively, with the personal samplers having 8.8% of the 24h averages above 150 μg m⁻³. The higher outdoor averages with respect to indoors were suspected to be related to more prevalent outdoor sources of coarse particles < 10 μm in diameter, and the lack of residential smokers to contribute to the indoor respirable subfraction. There was one day during the period when all the outdoor sites exceeded the 24 h PM-10 standard. Increased outdoor levels were also reflected in elevated indoor samples and the personal samples on that day. These would be a result of direct outdoor exposures and the penetration of outdoor PM-10 to the indoors.     

广西岩溶洞穴大气中有机氯农药分布与传输

以广西桂林大岩洞穴为例对岩溶洞穴大气环境中有机氯农药污染进行研究.结果表明,洞外大气中OCPs含量为1.82~2.01 ng.m-3,远高于洞内大气中总OCPs含量(范围为0.27~0.83 ng.m-3).大气中有机氯农药浓度呈现从洞口到洞内逐渐降低的趋势,尤其HCHs表现更为明显,表明外界大气传输对洞内污染贡献占主导作用.洞内大气OCPs浓度与两极相当,可作为有机氯农药的背景点.洞穴大气中HCH同系物浓度分布与其本身降解速率大小相吻合,表明在洞穴特有的原始环境下HCH类化合物可较好地反映出自身性质的差异.同时,异构体分布表明周围有新近使用的三氯杀螨醇,HCH类农药以历史残留为主.     

Application of sewage sludge and intermittent aeration strategy to the bioremediation of DDT-and HCH-contaminated soil

Adding organic amendments to stimulate the biodegradation of pesticides is a subject of ongoing interest. The effect of sewage sludge on the bioremediation of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane（DDT） and hexachlorocyclohexane（HCH） contaminated soil was investigated in bench scale experiments,and intermittent aeration strategy was also used in this study to form an anaerobic–aerobic cycle. Bioremediation of DDT and HCH was enhanced with the addition of sewage sludge and the intermittent aeration. The removal rates of HCH and DDT were raised by 16.8%–80.8% in 10 days. Sewage sludge increased the organic carbon content from 6.2 to218 g/kg,and it could also introduce efficient degradation microbes to soil,including Pseudomonas sp.,Bacillus sp. and Sphingomonas sp. The unaerated phase enhanced the anaerobic dechlorination of DDT and HCH,and anaerobic removal rates of β-HCH,o,p′-DDT and p,p′-DDT accounted for more than 50% of the total removal rates,but the content of α-HCH declined more in the aerobic phase.     

Monitoring the dry deposition of SO2 in the Netherlands: Results for grassland and heather vegetation

An automated system based on the micrometeorological gradient technique has been developed to measure the dry deposition of SO₂ on a routine basis. Measurements were made at two locations in the Netherlands. From these results dry deposition fluxes, dry deposition velocities and surface resistances for a heathland and for an agricultural grassland site were estimated using a selected set of data and a calculation procedure based on micrometeorological considerations. An extensive analysis was made to determine uncertainties in the resulting deposition parameters. From this analysis it has been concluded that the uncertainty in these parameters is almost completely determined by the random errors in measured concentrations. The meteorological surface exchange parameters can be estimated sufficiently accurately (<20% uncertainty). At the grassland site, average surface resistances to deposition of 6(±8) and 13(±12) s m⁻¹ were calculated for wet and dry conditions, respectively. At the heathland site, a similar distinct difference between R_c values for wet and dry conditions was found. These values are 20(±21) and 70(±90) s m⁻¹, respectively. The yearly average dry deposition flux for SO₂ at the grassland site amounts to 585(±330) mol ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, while at the heathland site the yearly average flux was 300(±270) mol ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. The yearly average dry deposition velocity at 4 m height was 1.2(±0.3) cm s⁻¹ at the grassland site and 0.8(±0.4) cm s⁻¹ at the heathland site.     

Spatial and temporal patterns in nitrogen dioxide concentrations in a hot desert region

This paper reports seasonal and spatial variations in the ambient air concentration of nitrogen dioxide throughout the State of Bahrain, from February to December 1992. Monitoring sites were chosen to include urban areas with high traffic density, suburban areas with low traffic density, commercial and industrial areas. Correlations between meteorological parameters and mean NO₂ concentrations were analysed, and NO₂ levels were only significantly correlated with temperature (r = 0.63). Only February, a winter month, showed a significantly lower concentration of NO₂ with an overall mean value of 23 μgm⁻³, whereas in August, a summer month, it was 33 μgm⁻³. The results revealed that in a hot region like Bahrain, NO₂ concentrations do not show significant monthly variations. Also summer-averaged NO₂ values exceeded corresponding spring and winter values. In cold regions opposite patterns were observed. Moreover, the results revealed significant spatial variations in NO₂ concentrations. In suburban areas with low traffic density, the overall mean NO₂ level was 15, with a range of 12–17 μg m⁻³, while in urban areas with high traffic density, the overall mean value was 52 with a range of 44–60 μg m⁻³. The mean NO₂ value in industrial sites with low traffic density was 21 with a range of 14–27 μg m⁻³, whereas in the same areas near major roads, it was 32 with a range of 31–32 μg m⁻³. These results indicate that automobiles exhaust are the dominant source of NO₂ in Bahrain. The highest NO₂ levels were found in roads with high traffic density, which are narrow, with several traffic lights and roundabouts, suggesting the effect of road geometry on NO₂ levels.     

The vertical distribution of aerosols and acid related compounds in air and cloudwater

Vertical profiles (surface to 5 km) of aerosol particle number concentration, NO_y′ mixing ratio, and cloudwater SO₄²⁻ and NO₃⁻ equivalent concentration were obtained in three field studies: North Bay, Ontario, during the summer of 1982 and the winter of 1983–1984, and Syracuse, New York, during the fall of 1984. The measurements from these locations and different seasons are compared. Generally, airborne concentrations are highest with air-mass back trajectories from the south and lowest with back trajectories from the north. For the southerly trajectories, median particle number concentrations (0.2–2 μm) near ground level (950 mb) vary from 1700 cm⁻³ during the summer project to 800 cm⁻³ during the winter project. At 700 mb, the south trajectory particle number concentration ranged between 60 and 170 cm⁻³. Median NO_y′ mixing ratios for southerly back trajectories were approximately 6 and 9 ppb at 950 mb and 0.4 and 0.8 ppb at 700 mb for the fall and winter projects, respectively. Comparison of particle number concentration profiles outside of cloud with cloud droplet plus interstitial aerosol particle number concentrations inside cloud indicate that cumulus clouds can transport aerosols vertically from below cloud base. In contrast, stratiform clouds have similar concentrations inside the clouds as outside at the same altitude. The vertical variations of cloudwater sulphate and nitrate concentrations and the NO₃⁻/SO₄²⁻ equivalent concentration ratio are discussed for each of the three field studies.     

Spatial distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls in soil around a municipal solid waste incinerator

The impact of a typical municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) on polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations in the surrounding soil was studied. Six stack gas samples were taken from the MSWI and 21 soil samples were collected from sampling sites between 300 and 1700 m from the MSWI stack. The total (∑PCB) concentrations of dioxin-like (dl) PCBs and indicator PCBs in the stack gas samples were between 3.41 and 34.3 ng/m3, and the corresponding toxic equivalents (TEQs) ranged from 4.45 to 66.9 pg WHO-TEQ/m3, with a mean of 28.6 pg WHO-TEQ/m3. A total of 2.43 g WHO-TEQ of PCBs per year was calculated to be released into the environment from MSWIs in China. The ∑PCB concentrations in the soil samples ranged from 28.0 to 264.4 pg/g, with mean and median values of 127.6 and 127.7 pg/g, respectively, while the TEQ values were between 0.020 and 0.18 pg WHO-TEQ/g, with mean and median values of 0.074 and 0.062 pg WHO-TEQ/g, respectively. Comparing this study with other studies performed around the world suggest that PCB emission from incinerators has a critical influence on PCB concentrations in the surrounding soil. An exponential function equation is proposed, which indicates a clear decline in ∑PCB concentrations with increasing distance from the stack. A contour map created using an ordinary kriging interpolation technique showed that a limited area (1250 m radius) from the stack was clearly influenced by PCB emission from the MSWI.     

Photocatalytic remediation of γ-HCH contaminated soil induced by α-Fe2O3 and TiO2

Heterogeneous photocatalytic degradation of γ-HCH on soil surfaces was carried out to evaluate the photocatalytic effectiveness of α-Fe2O3 and TiO2 toward degrading γ-HCH on soil surfaces. After being spiked with γ-HCH, soil samples were loaded with α-Fe2O3 or TiO2 and exposed to UV-light irradiation. Different catalyst loads(0%, 2%, 5%, 7%, and 10% (wt). α-Fe2O3; 0%, 0.5%, 1%, 2% wt. TiO2) were tested for up to 7 d irradiation. The effects of soil thickness, acidity, and humic substances were also investigated. The obtained results indicated that the γ-HCH photodegradation follows the pseudo-first-order kinetics. The addition of α-Fe2O3 or TiO2 accelerates the photodegradation of γ-HCH, while the photodegradation rate decreases when the content of α-Fe2O3 exceeds 7%(wt.). The degradation rate increases with the soil pH value. Humic substances inhibit the photocatalytic degradation of γ-HCH. Pentachlorocyclohexene, tetrachlorocyclohexene, and trichlorobenzene are detected as photodegradation intermediates, which are gradually degraded with the photodegradation evolution.     

Seasonal variation of methanesulfonic acid in precipitation at Amsterdam island in the southern Indian Ocean

A 29-month record of methanesulfonate (MSA) concentration in 103 rainwater samples has been performed at Amsterdam Island in the southern Indian Ocean. Rain water MSA concentrations range from 0.008 to 1.150 μeql⁻¹ with a mean value of 0.187 ± 0.054 μeql⁻¹. A strong seasonal variation in rain water MSA concentration was found with a minimum in winter and a maximum in summer, similar to that observed for atmospheric DMS concentrations measured during the same period. The annual average MSA wet deposition during the studied period was 0.51 μeq m⁻² d⁻¹ which represents roughly 20% of the annual average DMS flux.