USF St. Petersburg campus Faculty Publications

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

SelectedWorks Author Profiles:

Henry A. Alegria

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2017

ISSN

0045-6535

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 Σ43PCBs ranged from 9.6 to 1240 pg/m3 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/m3 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.

Comments

Abstract only. Full-text article is available through licensed access provided by the publisher. Published in Chemosphere, 168, 1345-1355. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.11.124. Members of the USF System may access the full-text of the article through the authenticated link provided.

Publisher

Pergamon Press

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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