PARENT SESSION

1G - Long-range transport of pollutants (chemicals)
Poster Hall
8:30 AM - Wednesday, 30 April 2003
Chair: Jones, K.C.¹, ¹

(WEP/3) Determination of dioxin-like PCB and PCDD/PCDF in immission and deposition samples from Bavaria, Germany.

Bahner, Simone¹, Körner, Wolfgang¹, Waller, Ulrich¹, Reifenhäuser, Werner¹, Kerst, Melanie¹, ¹ Bavarian Environmental Protection Agency, Augsburg, Germany

ABSTRACT- Levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF) have substantially decreased in Germany and other industrialized countries during the last decade, but concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) have not decreased at the same rate. PCDD/PCDF biomonitoring levels have also been stabilized, so it is now possible to determine background levels of PCDD/PCDF and PCB in immission and deposition samples. In Germany, there is little data about dioxin-like PCB in environmental samples present in food of animal origin in comparable toxicity equivalent (TEQ) levels to that of PCDD/PCDF. To examine WHO TEQ ratios of PCDD/PCDF versus PCB already existent at the beginning of terrestrial food chains, PCDD/PCDF and dioxin-like PCB as well as PCB indicator congeners have been determined in immission and deposition samples. Samples were taken at three sites in the state of Bavaria in Southern Germany. Over a period of 28 days 2000 m³ of ambient air were collected on glass fibre particle filter followed by two polyurethane foam plugs with a low volume sampler. Deposition samples were simultaneously collected at the same location using the funnel adsorber method (DIN 19739). Median PCDD/PCDF WHO TEQ (n=11) was 3.9 fg m^-3 and median PCB TEQ (n=19) was 1.66 fg m^-3 for immission samples. Deposition samples show median PCDD/PCDF WHO TEQ (n=5) of 1.7 pg m^-2 d^-1 and PCB TEQ (n=11) of 0.96 pg m^-2 d^-1. Samples will be taken during a total period of two years to assess differences in sampling sites, influences of temperature and atmospheric moisture. The financial support of the Bavarian State Ministry for Environmental Affairs (project no. 7050) is gratefully acknowledged.

Key words: deposition, immission, PCDD/PCDF, dioxin-like PCB