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(46-44) Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in air exposed Semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) and Agriculture plants fromThailand. Söderström, Hanna*,1, Wallin, Maria1, Bergqvist, Per-Anders1, 1 Environmental Chemistry, Umeå University, Umeå, SE ABSTRACT- Semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) were deployed at 6 sites in the Bangkok region of Thailand to investigate different PAHs concentrations and profiles in the atmosphere. Parallel with the SPMD sampling, Ipomoea aquatica (water spinach) were collected at three sampling sites to compare PAH levels in plant and air. The predominant PAHs source were supposed to be traffic and thus sampling sites with different traffic situations were studied. The total concentrations of PAHs in the atmosphere ranged between 18.3-196.4 ng*SPMD-1*day-1. In all samples, 80 % of the total amount of PAHs consisted of Phenantrene, 1-methylphenantrene, Fluoranthene and Pyrene. Phenantrene was the predominant compound. The total average plant concentrations ranged from 5.3-10.9 ug/kg ww. In all samples, Pyrene was the predominant compound with concentrations between 1.3-6.0 ug/kg ww. A 10 times difference in atmospheric concentration of PAHs was detected between sample sites. Thus SPMDs used in this study were highly sensitive to different atmospheric concentrations at the samples sites studied. The PAHs concentrations in plants from a high traffic area were 2 times higher compared to plant concentrations at the other sites studied. This indicates that agriculture plants harvested in high traffic area increases the human exposure of PAHs. Key words: SPMD sampling, atmosphere, plants, PAH profiles |
