Long-range transport potential of semivolatile organic chemicals in coupled air-water systems

Ongoing deliberations on the regulation of semivolatile organic chemicals require the assessment of chemical transport in atmospheric and marine systems. The characteristic travel distance was proposed as a measure for the transport potential in air and water. However, the existing definition treats the transport processes separately. It is shown that combined transport in coupled air-ocean systems can accelerate the overall transport into remote regions. Concentration ratios in air and water change with distance from sources depending on the initial concentration ratio and on the difference between the transport velocities. A measure is suggested facilitating the chemical screening with respect to transport potentials in such air-ocean systems. A case study for alpha and gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane shows that the suggested measure qualitatively reveals the transport potentials of these chemicals and exemplifies possible concentration patterns.