High Abundance of Unintentionally Produced Tetrachlorobiphenyls (PCB47/48/75, 51, and 68) in the Atmosphere at a Regional Background Site in East China
- 7 March 2019
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Chemical Society (ACS) in Environmental Science & Technology
- Vol. 53 (7), 3464-3470
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b07286
Abstract
Although polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been banned for several decades, they are still detected with elevated levels due to their unintentional production from combustion and industrial thermal processes (UP-PCBs). To investigate the composition and current levels of UP-PCBs and understand which sources are controlling PCB burdens in ambient atmosphere, air samples were collected from August 2012 to August 2015 at a background site in east China. Unexpected high abundance of PCB47+48+75 was observed to be the predominant congener with an average concentration of 786 ± 637 pg/m3. It accounted for 48 ± 16% of ΣPCBs, followed by PCB51 (10 ± 4%), PCB11 (8 ± 6%), and PCB68 (7 ± 3%). Seasonal variations with high levels in summer and lowest in winter were observed for PCB47+48+75, 51, and 68. These tetrachlorobiphenyl congeners were strongly correlated with temperature (r2 > 0.7), suggesting the control of temperature-dependent volatilization process from contaminated surfaces. Less abundance of PCB47+48+75, 51, and 68 in commercial products and the negative correlations (│r│ < 0.35) with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) and weak correlation with other PCB congeners suggested unique unintentional sources that differ from combustion and industrial thermal processes or pigment, such as the use of polymer sealant, for PCB47+48+75, 51, and 68 in the ambient air.Funding Information
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (41390240, 41430645)
- Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China (2017YFC0212000)
This publication has 37 references indexed in Scilit:
- Relationships between Atmospheric Transport Regimes and PCB Concentrations in the Air at Zeppelin, SpitsbergenEnvironmental Science & Technology, 2017
- Long-Term Temporal Trends of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Their Controlling Sources in ChinaEnvironmental Science & Technology, 2017
- The Abandoned E-Waste Recycling Site Continued to Act As a Significant Source of Polychlorinated Biphenyls: An in Situ Assessment Using Fugacity SamplersEnvironmental Science & Technology, 2016
- A preliminary compilation and evaluation of a comprehensive emission inventory for polychlorinated biphenyls in ChinaScience of The Total Environment, 2015
- Interstudy and Intrastudy Temporal Trends of Polychlorinated Biphenyl, Pesticide, and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Concentrations in Air and Precipitation at a Rural Site in OntarioEnvironmental Science & Technology Letters, 2014
- Source Apportionment of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Chicago Air from 1996 to 2007Environmental Science & Technology, 2013
- Atmospheric emission of polychlorinated biphenyls from multiple industrial thermal processesChemosphere, 2012
- Towards a global historical emission inventory for selected PCB congeners — A mass balance approach: 3. An updateScience of The Total Environment, 2007
- Towards a global historical emission inventory for selected PCB congeners — a mass balance approach: 2. EmissionsScience of The Total Environment, 2002
- Towards a global historical emission inventory for selected PCB congeners — a mass balance approach: 1. Global production and consumptionScience of The Total Environment, 2002