Gas/Particle Level and Dry Deposition Flux ofAtmospheric PCBs

Abstract

Atmospheric samples were conducted from September 2001 to July 2002 with GPS-1 PUF sampler in rural site to concentration distributions of gas/particle PCBs and to calculate dry deposition flux of PCBs. PCBs concentrations of gas/particle PCBs were 59.29±48.83, 6.56±6.59 pg/m3, respectively. Gas contribution (%) of total PCBs (gas+particle) was 90% which existed gas phase in the atmosphere. The particle contribution (%) of PCB congeners increased relatively more of the less volatile congeners with the highest chlorine number. The correlation coefficients (r) between total PCBs and temperature (C) showed negative correlation in - 0.62 (p<0.01) for particle phase, positive correlation in 0.63 (p<0.01) for gas phase. In other word, particle phase PCBs is enriched in colder weather which could be due to greater in corporation of condensed gas phase at low temperature. The calculated dry deposition of total PCBs (gas+particle) was 0.008±0.008 g m2 day1 which showed maximum dry deposition flux in December, minimum data in July Bs in the atmosphere. The calculated dry deposition fluxes of total PCBs were influenced by particle phase PCBs even though PCBs in the atmosphere were present primarily in the gas phase.