Volatile organic compounds at a coastal site. 2. Short-term variations

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1982 · Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es00095a011· OSTI ID:5433800

Mantoura, R F.C.; Gschwend, P M; Zafiriou, O C; Clarke, K R

Virtually all volatile organic compounds (VOCs), monitored at a coastal northeastern U.S.A. site, showed similar levels of variability (relative standard deviation approx. 80%), chiefly attributable to short-term (i.e. daily to weekly) fluctuations. Two related examples are a ''summer weekend effect'' and a ''winter week effect'' in alkylbenzene levels, explained by invoking a step-function change in the (anthropogenic) source. The reaction of the shallow coastal seawater is controlled by the rapid air-sea exchange process. If air-sea exchange dominates all other sinks for many VOCs, concentration measurements and air-sea exchange data would permit estimation of in situ source functions. Multivariate statistical techniques, applied to the more extensive winter survey, revealed over 50 significant positive correlations and showed 4 significant subgroupings (10 alkylbenzenes and total VOCs, 4 saturated hydrocarbons, 3 aldehydes, and 2 alkanes with 1 aldehyde). The significance of these groupings and their interpretation is discussed.

• Research Organization: Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst., MA
• OSTI ID: 5433800
• Journal Information: Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States), Vol. 16:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
COASTAL REGIONS
COASTAL WATERS
DISTRIBUTION
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
MONITORING
NORTH ATLANTIC REGION
STATISTICAL DATA
VOLATILE MATTER
DATA
INFORMATION
MATTER
NUMERICAL DATA
SURFACE WATERS
VARIATIONS
520200* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)