PARENT SESSION

1G - Long-range transport of pollutants (chemicals)
Hall 13
8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, Wednesday, 30 April 2003
Chair: Jones, K.C.¹, ¹

(WE13/4) Passive air sampling for POPs: spatial and seasonal trends in the Great Lakes basin.

Harner, Tom ¹, Shoeib, Mahiba¹, Farrar, Nick², Jones, Kevin², Stern, Gary³, Gobas, Frank⁴, Ikonomou, Michael⁵, Diamond, Miriam ⁶, ¹ Environment Canada - MSC, Toronto, Ontario, Canada² Lancaster University, Lancaster, Lancashire, U.K.³ Fisheries and Oceans Canada - FWI, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada⁴ Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada⁵ Fisheries and Oceans Canada - IOS, Sidney, B.C., Canada⁶ University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

ABSTRACT- Passive air samplers were developed and used to assess concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) along an urban-rural gradient. Two types of passive samplers (SPMDs, semipermeable membrane devices and PUF, polyurethane foam discs) were deployed at nine sites over four, four month sampling periods along an 80km transect originating in downtown Toronto (n=4 sites) and extending north (4 more sites). Targeted POP classes included PCBs, OC pesticides, PAHs, alkanes and PBDEs. Passive samplers were also deployed at six heights (30m to 400m) on the CN Tower in downtown Toronto, over three, one-week periods using a third type of passive sampler, POGS (polymer-coated glass surfaces). The design, development and calibration of each type of sampler is discussed. Preliminary results demonstrate urban-rural differences for some POPs and passive sampler derived (back-calculated) air concentrations agreed well with co-located high volume air sampler results. In a second campaign initiated in July 2002, passive air samplers were deployed at 18 locations in the Great Lakes basin. Several sites included long-term monitoring stations operated under the Integrated Atmospheric Deposition Network (IADN) where long-term air concentration data is available for POPs. This study will investigate spatial and seasonal patterns for emerging POPs such as the brominated flame retardants and perfluorinated chemicals and compare integrated passive-sampler derived air concentrations with high volume air sampler data.

Key words: POPs (persistent organic pollutants), Passive air sampling, BFRs (brominated flame retardants)