Tracing the movement of persistent organic pollutants at a high-mountain sampling site by chemometric assessment.

The main objective of the present study was to determine and differentiate the concentration levels, to define the probable sources of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) pollution in the atmospheric air and their seasonal variations in Bulgaria, on the high mountain peak Moussala, Rila Mountain. The study was based on the obtained results from the passive monitoring of POPs in 2014-2017. During this period, the measurements of POPs were performed with passive samplers, advanced instrumental methods analytically determined the concentrations of PAHs, and the analysis of the obtained data was performed by the multivariate statistical analysis (cluster, factor and time-series analysis). It is shown that the POPs species could be correctly classified according to their chemical nature into several patterns of similarity and their concentration profile depends on the annual season.

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the atmosphere of three Chilean cities using passive air samplers.

In this study passive air samplers containing polyurethane foam (PUF) disks were deployed in three cities across Chile; Santiago (STG) (n=5, sampling sites), Concepciόn (CON) (n=6) and Temuco (TEM) (n=6) from 2008 to 2009. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (7 indicator congeners), chlorinated pesticides hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethanes (DDTs) and flame retardants such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were determined by gas chromatography coupled mass spectrometry (GC/MS). A sampling rate (R) typical of urban sites (4m3/day) was used to estimate the atmospheric concentrations of individual compounds. PCB concentrations in the air (pg/m3) ranged from ~1-10 (TEM), ~1-40 (STG) and 4-30 (CON). Higher molecular weight PCBs (PCB-153, -180) were detected at industrial sites (in Concepción). The HCHs showed a prevalence of γ-HCH across all sites, indicative of inputs from the use of lindane but a limited use of technical HCHs in Chile. DDTs were detected with a prevalence of p,p'-DDE accounting for ~50% of the total DDTs. PBDE concentrations in air (pg/m3) ranged from 1 to 55 (STG), 0.5 to 20 (CON) and from 0.4 to 10 (TEM), and were generally similar to those reported for many other urban areas globally. The pattern of PBDEs was different among the three cities; however, PBDE-209 was dominant at most of the sites. These results represent one of the few assessments of air concentrations of POPs across different urban areas within the same country. These data will support Chilean commitments as a signatory to the Stockholm Convention on POPs and for reporting as a member country of the Group of Latin America and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC) region.