Atmospheric outflow of anthropogenic semivolatile organic compounds from East Asia in Spring 2004

Journal Article · Tue May 15 00:00:00 EDT 2007 · Environmental Science and Technology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es062256w· OSTI ID:20905842

Primbs, Toby; Simonich, Staci; Schmedding, David; Wilson, Glenn; Jaffe, Dan; Takami, Akinori; Kato, Shungo; Hatakeyama, Shiro; Kajii, Yoshizumi ^[1]

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1. Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR (United States). Departments of Chemistry and Environmental and Molecular Toxicology

To estimate the emissions of anthropogenic semivolatile organic compounds (SOCs) from East Asia and to identify unique SOC molecular markers in Asian air masses, high-volume air samples were collected on the island of Okinawa, Japan between 22 March and 2 May 2004. Contributions from different source regions (China, Japan, the Koreas, Russia, and ocean/local) were estimated by use of source region impact factors (SRIFs). Elevated concentrations of hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorcyclohexanes (HCHs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs), and particulate-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were attributed to air masses from China. A large proportion of the variation in the current-use pesticides, gas-phase PAHs, and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations was explained by meteorology. Chlordanes showed a technical mixture profile and similar concentrations regardless of source region. {alpha}/{gamma} HCH and trans/cis chlordane ratios did not vary significantly with different source regions and had regional averages of 2.5 {+-} 1.0 and 1.2 {+-} 0.3, respectively. Particulate-phase PAH concentrations were significantly correlated (p value {lt} 0.05) with other incomplete combustion byproduct concentrations, including elemental mercury (Hg{sup 0}), CO, NOx{asterisk}, black carbon, submicrometer aerosols, and SO{sub 2}. By use of measured PAH, CO, and black carbon concentrations and estimated CO and black carbon emission inventories, the emission of six carcinogenic particulate-phase PAHs was estimated to be 1518-4179 metric tons/year for Asia and 778-1728 metric tons/year for China, respectively. These results confirm that East Asian outflow contains significant emissions of carcinogenic particulate-phase PAHs. 39 refs., 3 figs.

• OSTI ID: 20905842
• Journal Information: Environmental Science and Technology, Vol. 41, Issue 10; Other Information: [e-mail]; ISSN 0013-936X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
ASIA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
VOLATILE MATTER
EMISSION
SAMPLING
AIR SAMPLERS
CHINA
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
AIR POLLUTION
POLLUTION SOURCES
LONG-RANGE TRANSPORT
TRANSFRONTIER POLLUTION
PARTICULATES
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
JAPAN
REPUBLIC OF KOREA
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
METEOROLOGY
CYCLOALKANES
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
CARBON MONOXIDE
AEROSOLS
MERCURY
NITROGEN OXIDES
SULFUR DIOXIDE
CARCINOGENS
CARBON
DDT
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
PESTICIDES
COAL
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS
WOOD FUELS
COKING PLANTS