Seasonal and Spatial Variation of Polychlorinated Naphthalenes and Non-/Mono-Ortho-Substituted Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Arctic Air

• Published in: Environmental science & technology Vol. 38; no. 21; pp. 5514 - 5521
• Main Authors: Helm, Paul A, Bidleman, Terry F, Li, Henrik H, Fellin, Phil
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 01.11.2004
• Subjects: Air; Air Pollutants - analysis; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Applied sciences; Arctic Regions; Atmospheric pollution; Biological and medical sciences; Canada; Chlorine Compounds - analysis; Dioxins - analysis; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Incineration; Naphthalenes - analysis; Naphthalenes - chemistry; PCB; Pollutants physicochemistry study: properties, effects, reactions, transport and distribution; Pollution; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Polychlorinated Biphenyls - analysis; Research centers; Russia; Samples; Seasons; Trends; Volatilization; Canada; Russian Federation; Eurasia; Russian Arctic; America; Arctic Region; North America; Arctic Regions; Russia; Alert Nunavut Canada; Tagish Lake; Dunai Island; Arctic region; Arctic; Canada, Nunavut, Queen Elizabeth Is., Ellesmere I., Alert; PN, Arctic; Chemical analysis; Ecotoxicology; Annual variation; Toxicity; Troposphere; Polychlorobiphenyl; Persistent organic pollutant; Spatial distribution; Seasonal variation; Chlorine Organic compounds; Long range pollutant transport; Trend analysis; Toxic equivalency factor; Pollution source inventory; Air pollution; Qualitative analysis; Organic compounds; Concentration distribution; Anthropogenic factor
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851
• DOI: 10.1021/es049619h

Archived extracts of weekly air samples collected at remote arctic monitoring stations at Alert and Tagish, Canada, and Dunai Island, Russia, in 1994−1995 were combined into 4-week composites and analyzed for levels and seasonal trends of polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) and non- and mono-ortho-substituted polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Mean annual ∑PCN concentrations were 0.69, 0.82, and 0.38 pg/m3 at Alert, Dunai, and Tagish, respectively. PCNs exhibited a seasonal trend at Alert and Dunai, with higher levels occurring during winter when air masses originating over Eurasia influence the high arctic and coincide with the haze period. Episodic, trans-Pacific transport impacted PCN concentrations at Tagish. A seasonal trend was not evident for the non-/mono-o-PCBs. The contrary PCN and non-/mono-o-PCB trends indicate that the sources of these two compound classes to arctic air differ, and that atmospheric transport from source regions has a greater influence on PCN levels than for non-/mono-o-PCBs. PCNs apparently originating from combustion sources contribute to levels in winter, as indicated by the presence of combustion marker congeners, but evaporative emissions from source regions are likely the dominant source. PCNs contributed 71 and 75% of dioxin toxic equivalents (TEQ) relative to the non-/mono-o-PCBs at Alert and Dunai and 30% at Tagish during the winter months, demonstrating the toxicological importance of PCNs as a compound class relative to PCBs.