Assessing Polychlorinated Dibenzo ‑p‑ dioxins and Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans in Air across Latin American Countries Using Polyurethane Foam Disk Passive Air Samplers

JASMIN K. SCHUSTER, ; TOM HARNER,; GILBERTO FILLMANN, ; LUTZ AHRENS; JORGELINA C. ALTAMIRANO; BEATRIZ ARISTIZÁBAL; WANDERLEY BASTOS; LUISA EUGENIA CASTILLO; JOHANA CORTÉS; OSCAR FENTANES; ALEXEY GUSEV; MARICRUZ HERNANDEZ,; MARTı́N VILLA IBARRA; SUM CHI LEE; ANA PATRICIA MARTı́NEZ; KARINA S. B. MIGLIORANZA; ANDREA PADILLA PUERTA; FEDERICO SEGOVIA; MAY SIU; MARIA YUMIKO TOMINAGA

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

AMER CHEMICAL SOC

Lugar: Washington; Año: 2015 vol. 49 p. 3680 - 3686

0013-936X

A passive air sampling network has been established to investigate polychlorinateddibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) at Global AtmosphericPassive Sampling (GAPS) sites and six additional sites in the Group of Latin American andCaribbean Countries (GRULAC) region. The air sampling network covers background, agricultural,rural, and urban sites. Samples have been collected over four consecutive periods of 6 months,which started in January 2011 [period 1 (January to June 2011), period 2 (July to December 2011),period 3 (January to June 2012), and period 4 (July 2012 to January 2013)]. Results show that (i)the GAPS passive samplers (PUF disk type) and analytical methodology are adequate formeasuring PCDD/F burdens in air and (ii) PCDD/F concentrations in air across the GRULACregion are widely variable by almost 2 orders of magnitude. The highest concentrations in air ofΣ 4 − 8 PCDD/Fs were found at the urban site Sa ̃ o Luis (Brazil, UR) (i.e., 2560 fg/m3) followed bythe sites in Sa ̃ o Paulo (Brazil, UR), Mendoza (Argentina, RU), and Sonora (Mexico, AG) withvalues of 1690, 1660, and 1610 fg/m3, respectively. Very low concentrations of PCDD/Fs in airwere observed at the background site Tapanti (Costa Rica, BA), 10.8 fg/m3. This variability isattributed to di ff erences in site characteristics and potential local/regional sources as well as meteorological in fl uences. The measurementsof PCDD/Fs in air agree well with model-predicted concentrations performed using the Global EMEP Multimedia Modeling System(GLEMOS) and emission scenario constructed on the basis of the UNEP Stockholm Convention inventory of dioxin and furan