Summer–winter concentrations and gas-particle partitioning of short chain chlorinated paraffins in the atmosphere of an urban setting

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) Vol. 171; pp. 38 - 45
• Main Authors: Wang, Thanh, Han, Shanlong, Yuan, Bo, Zeng, Lixi, Li, Yingming, Wang, Yawei, Jiang, Guibin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: absorption; adsorption; Air; Air Pollutants; Air Pollutants - analysis; Air Pollution; Air Pollution - statistics & numerical data; alkanes; analysis; Applied sciences; Atmosphere; Atmosphere - chemistry; Atmospheric pollution; carbon; chemistry; China; chlorine; Cities; Cities - statistics & numerical data; Environmental Monitoring; Exact sciences and technology; Gas-particle partitioning; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated - analysis; Paraffin; Paraffin - analysis; partition coefficients; Pollutants physicochemistry study: properties, effects, reactions, transport and distribution; Pollution; Polychlorinated n-alkanes; Seasons; Short chain chlorinated paraffins; statistics & numerical data; summer; toxicity; vapors; Volatile Organic Compounds; Volatile Organic Compounds - analysis; winter; China; Asia; Gas-particle partitioning; Polychlorinated n-alkanes; Short chain chlorinated paraffins; Air; Atmosphere; Pollutant behavior; Summer; Urban area; Low volatile compound; Organic chlorine compounds; Organic halogen compounds; Halogenated hydrocarbon; Winter; Chlorocarbon; Aerosols; Air pollution; Phase partition; Organic compounds; Concentration distribution
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2012.07.025

Short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) are semi-volatile chemicals that are considered persistent in the environment, potential toxic and subject to long-range transport. This study investigates the concentrations and gas-particle partitioning of SCCPs at an urban site in Beijing during summer and wintertime. The total atmospheric SCCP levels ranged 1.9–33.0 ng/m3 during wintertime. Significantly higher levels were found during the summer (range 112–332 ng/m3). The average fraction of total SCCPs in the particle phase (ϕ) was 0.67 during wintertime but decreased significantly during the summer (ϕ = 0.06). The ten and eleven carbon chain homologues with five to eight chlorine atoms were the predominant SCCP formula groups in air. Significant linear correlations were found between the gas-particle partition coefficients and the predicted subcooled vapor pressures and octanol–air partition coefficients. The gas-particle partitioning of SCCPs was further investigated and compared with both the Junge–Pankow adsorption and Koa-based absorption models. ► Short chain chlorinated paraffins were investigated in air samples from Beijing. ► Higher levels of SCCPs were found in air during summertime than wintertime. ► Relevant physical–chemical properties were estimated by SPARC and EPI Suite. ► Obtained data were used to model the gas-particle partitioning of SCCPs. Atmospheric levels and gas-particle partitioning of SCCPs in Beijing, China.