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Influence of vapor pressure on vapor-particle partitioning of trace organic pollutants

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:5282946

Particle (P) and vapor (V) phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) at the Savannah River Plant were collected using a filter-polyurethane foam (PUF) plug hi-vol sampler. PUF was retentive for gaseous 3-ring PAH when air volumes not exceeding 600 m/sup 3/ were sampled on warm days. PAH breakthrough on PUF was governed by the liquid-phase vapor pressure (p/sub L//sup 0/) rather than the solid phase (p/sub S//sup 0/). The apparent VP partitioning of PAH, as estimated by (A(TSP)F) where A and F are the adsorbent- and filter-retained SOC concentrations and TSP is the total suspended particle concentration also correlated well with p/sub L//sup 0/. An apparatus was designed to equilibrate urban air particulate matter on a filter with controlled vapor concentrations of semivolatile organic compounds (SOC) at 20/sup 0/C under simulated air sampling conditions. VP for organochlorine pesticides and 3-4 ring PAH were estimated from laboratory measurements of A(TSP)F. Measured A(TSP)F correlated well with (p/sub L//sup 0/) of the SOC tested, but not with p/sub S//sup 0/. Comparisons of field and laboratory A(TSP)F were made and implications of p/sup 0/-dependent partitioning to the atmospheric chemistry of SOC are discussed

Research Organization:
South Carolina Univ., Columbia (USA)
OSTI ID:
5282946
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English