Air monitoring of new and legacy POPs in the Group of Latin America and Caribbean (GRULAC) region. (December 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rauert, Cassandra; Harner, Tom; Schuster, Jasmin K.; Eng, Anita; Fillmann, Gilberto; Castillo, Luisa Eugenia; Fentanes, Oscar; Ibarra, Martín Villa; Miglioranza, Karina S.B.; Rivadeneira, Isabel Moreno; Pozo, Karla; Aristizábal Zuluaga, Beatriz Helena
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 243(2018)Part B
• Page Start: 1252
• Page End: 1262
• Publication Date: 2018-12
• Subjects: Atmospheric POPs -- GRULAC region -- Hexachlorobutadiene -- Pentachloroanisole -- Dicofol; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Effets physiologiques -- Périodiques; Pollution; Pollution -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.73
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.09.048
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: A special initiative in the Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling (GAPS) Network was implemented to provide information on new and emerging persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the Group of Latin America and Caribbean (GRULAC) region. Regional-scale atmospheric concentrations of the new and emerging POPs hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD), pentachloroanisole (PCA) and dicofol indicators (breakdown products) are reported for the first time. HCBD was detected in similar concentrations at all location types (<20–120 pg/m 3 ). PCA had elevated concentrations at the urban site Concepción (Chile) of 49–222 pg/m 3, with concentrations ranging <1–8.5 pg/m 3 at the other sites in this study. Dicofol indicators were detected at the agricultural site of Sonora (Mexico) at concentrations ranging 30–117 pg/m 3 . Legacy POPs, including a range of organochlorine (OC) pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), were also monitored to compare regional atmospheric concentrations over a decade of monitoring under the GAPS Network. γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and the endosulfans significantly decreased (p < 0.05) from 2005 to 2015, suggesting regional levels are decreasing. However, there were no significant changes for the other legacy POPs monitored, likely a reflection of the persistency and slow decline of environmental levels of these POPs. For the more volatile OCs, atmospheric concentrations derived from polyurethane foam (PUF) (acting as an equilibrium sampler) and sorbent impregnated PUF (SIP) (acting as a linear phase sampler), were compared. The complimentary methods show a good agreement of within a factor of 2–3, and areas for future studies to improve this agreement are further discussed. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: First reporting of hexachlorobutadiene and dicofol from the GRULAC region. First regional scale data of pentachloroanisole from the GRULAC region. PUF and SIP disk derived atmospheric concentrations agree within factor of 3. γ-hexachlorohexane and the endosulfans significantly decreased from 2005 to 2015. Other legacy POPs did not see decreasing concentrations from 2005 to 2015. Abstract : Regional scale atmospheric concentrations of hexachlorobutadiene, pentachloroanisole and dicofol are reported for the first time in the GRULAC region, along with concentrations of legacy POPs with only γ-hexachlorocyclohexane and endosulfans significantly reducing (p < 0.05) in the region from 2005 to 2015. A comparison study of SIP-PAS vs PUF-PAS demonstrated the applicability of both media for monitoring more volatile POPs.