The TOMPs network:continuous data on the UK air quality for 20 years

The Toxic Organic Micro Pollutants (TOMPs) Network, which has operated since 1991, currently collects ambient air samples at six sites across England and Scotland, using high-volume active air samplers. Lancaster University has been operating this UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) funded network from its inception, delivering long-term ambient air trend data for a range of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) at both urban and rural locations. Data from the network provides Defra with valuable information on emission/source controls and on the effectiveness of international chemicals regulation. It is also used to demonstrate UK compliance with its obligations under the 2001 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants and the 1998 UN/ECE Long-Range Atmospheric Transport Protocol. Moreover, long-term analysis of air pollutants at trace levels allows detailed studies on atmospheric fate and behaviour processes of persistent chemicals and is the inevitable basis of their successful modelling. The target chemicals of TOMPs have been polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and, since 2010, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). PCBs, PCDDs, PCDFs, and selected PBDEs are all listed under the Stockholm Convention. The continuous monitoring of these compounds has demonstrated the constant decline in their UK air concentrations over the last decades. The concentrations of all compounds are generally significantly higher at urban compared to semi-rural and rural sites, with estimated clearance rates between 2 and 9 years for PCBs at all sites, 2 to 4 years for PBDEs at urban and semi-rural sites, and 4 to 5 years for PCDDs and PCDFs at urban sites. All these data are in good agreement with emission estimates. Additionally, an archive is maintained, which can be used for analysing emerging chemicals, such as alternative flame retardants, pesticides, and further substances of interest as soon as they have been identified

Organophosphate ester (OPEs) flame retardants and plasticizers in air and soil from a highly industrialized city in Turkey.

Passive air samples were collected at eight sites in Bursa, Turkey during five sampling periods between February–December 2014. Locations encompassed urban, suburban, industrial, rural and background environments. Soil samples (n = 8) were collected at each site during February 2014. Six OPEs were detected in samples: tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris(chloropropyl) phosphate (TCPP), triphenyl phosphate (TPHP), tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP), tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (TEHP), and tris(2-isopropylphenyl) phosphate (T2iPPP). Frequency of detection in air samples was TCPP and TPHP (100%) \u3e TBOEP (88%) \u3e TCEP (85%) \u3e TEHP (78%) \u3e T2iPPP (20%). Total OPEs in air per site by sampling period (excluding non-detects) ranged from 529 to 19,139 pg/m3. In soil, total OPEs ranged from 38 to 468 ng/g dw. In air, alkylated OPEs dominated followed by halogenated and aryl OPEs. In air, annual mean concentrations were TBOEP \u3e TCPP \u3e TPHP \u3e T2iPPP \u3e TEHP \u3e TCEP. In soils, alkylated OPEs were dominant at six sites and chlorinated OPEs at two sites. A comparison of OPE profiles between air and soil suggests that soils may be partly a source of OPEs to air. Mean concentrations in air were not directly proportional to temperature, and there were differences between alkylated compared to halogenated and aryl OPEs. In air, total and alkylated OPEs levels were fairly uniform, whereas more variability was found for the halogenated and aryl compounds. The relative contribution to total OPEs decreases for alkylated OPEs and increases for halogenated OPEs in samples going from background to suburban to urban and industrial sites. Levels of individual OPEs were all positively correlated between air and soils. In air, correlations between individual compounds were weak to moderate and were only statistically significant for TBOEP and TPHP. In soils, correlations were generally stronger and statistically significant only for TPHP and T2iPPP

Can car air filters be useful as a sampling medium for air pollution monitoring purposes?

Urban air quality and real human exposure to chemical environmental stressors is an issue of high scientific and political interest. In an effort to find innovative and inexpensive means for air quality monitoring, the ability of car engine air filters (CAFs) to act as efficient samplers collecting street level air, to which people are exposed to, was tested. In particular, in the case of taxis, air filters are replaced after regular distances, the itineraries are almost exclusively urban, cruising mode is similar and, thus, knowledge of the air flow can provide with an integrated city air sample. The present pilot study focused on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), the most important category of organic pollutants associated with traffic emissions. Concentrations of Sigma PAHs in CAFs ranged between 650 and 2900 mu g CAF(-1), with benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene and indeno[123-cd]pyrene being the most abundant PAHs. Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) ranged between 110 and 250 mu g CAF(-1), accounting regularly for 5-15% of the total carcinogenic PAHs. The CAF PAH loads were used to derive road-level atmospheric PAN concentrations from a standard formula relating to the CAF air flow. Important parameters/assumptions for these estimates are the cruising speed and the exposure duration of each CAF. Based on information obtained from the garage experts, an average 'sampled air volume' of 48,750 m(3) per CAF was estimated, with uncertainty in this calculation estimated to be about a factor of 4 between the two extreme scenarios. Based on this air volume, Sigma PAHs ranged between 13 and 56 ng m(-3) and BaP between 2.1 and 5.0 ng m(-3), suggesting that in-traffic BaP concentrations can be many times higher than the limit values set by the UK (0.25 ng m(-3)) and the European Union (1.0 ng m(-3)), or from active sampling stations normally cited on building roof tops or far from city centres. Notwithstanding the limitations of this approach, the very low cost, the continuous availability of very high amounts of "sample", and the "retroactivity" render it very useful and complementary to existing passive sampling techniques. This approach yields estimated air concentrations that reflect the pollutant concentrations to which taxi drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and road-related professionals are exposed. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Contamination of Soil by Obsolete Pesticide Stockpiles: A Case Study of Derince Province, Turkey

The areal distributions of the soil organochlorine pesticide (OCP) levels were investigated at adjacent and surrounding sites of the obsolete pesticide stockpile warehouse in Kocaeli, Turkiye. OCP levels in soil at neighboring sampling locations (positioned at 0.4 to 3 km from the stockpile) varied from 0.4 to 9 mu g/kg and 4.2 to 2226 mu g/kg (dry weight) for sigma HCHs and sigma DDXs, respectively. Levels at adjacent locations (positioned within 20 m from the stockpile) were considerably higher, varying from 74 to 39,619 mu g/kg and 1592 to 30,419 mu g/kg for sigma HCHs and sigma DDXs, respectively. Levels of OCPs dropped abruptly with the horizontal distance from the stockpile and had different transect profiles. The enantiomer fractions (EFs) near the stockpile range from 0.494 to 0.521, 0.454 to 0.515, and 0.483 to 0.533 for alpha-HCH, o,p '-DDT, and o,p '-DDD, respectively. These near-racemic EFs suggested that observed soil OCP levels were mainly influenced by recent emissions from the stockpile. A comparison of OCP compositions observed in the soil at the present study with the technical HCHs and DDTs revealed that the material in the stockpile primarily contains byproducts that were discarded during DDT and Lindane production at the adjacent plant instead of their technical mixtures

Historical sediment record and levels of PCBs in sediments and mangroves of Jobos Bay, Puerto Rico.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were quantified in 18 surface sediment samples, 1 sediment core, and several mangrove tissue samples collected in Jobos Bay, Puerto Rico in September 2013. Total PCBs in surface sediments ranged from 0.42 to 1232 ng g− 1 dw. Generally, higher levels were observed near-shore close to urban and industrial areas. The levels suggest significant pollution in Jobos Bay with respect to PCBs. Two-thirds of the sites were dominated by lighter PCB congeners (tri- to penta-chlorinated PCBs) while one-third had heavy PCB congeners (hexa- to octa-chlorinated PCBs) dominant. Total PCBs in a sediment core indicated levels fluctuating according to historical usage patterns. Total PCBs were measured in mangal leaves (14–747 ng g− 1 dw), roots (0.26–120 ng g− 1 dw), and seeds (16–93 ng g− 1 dw), suggesting bioaccumulation from sediments. This is the first report of a historical profile of PCBs in the study area and of PCB bioaccumulation in mangroves. This article provides new and useful information on PCBs in the Caribbean area of the GRULAC region

Polyurethane foam (PUF) disk passive samplers derived polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) concentration in the ambient air of Bursa-Turkey: Spatial and temporal variations and health risk assessment.

Polyurethane foam (PUF) passive samplers were employed to assess air concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in background, agricultural, semi-urban, urban and industrial sites in Bursa, Turkey. Samplers were deployed for approximately 2-month periods from February to December 2014 in five sampling campaign. Results showed a clear rural-agricultural-semi-urban-urban-industrial PCBs concentration gradient. Considering all sampling periods, ambient air concentrations of Σ43PCBs ranged from 9.6 to 1240 pg/m3 at all sites with an average of 24.1 ± 8.2, 43.8 ± 24.4, 140 ± 190, 42.8 ± 24.6, 160 ± 280, 84.1 ± 105, 170 ± 150 and 280 ± 540 pg/m3 for Mount Uludag, Uludag University Campus, Camlica, Bursa Technical University Osmangazi Campus, Hamitler, Agakoy, Kestel Organised Industrial District and Demirtas Organised Industrial District sampling sites, respectively. The ambient air PCB concentrations increased along a gradient from background to industrial areas by a factor of 1.7–11.4. 4-Cl PCBs (31.50–81.60%) was the most dominant homologue group at all sampling sites followed by 3-Cl, 7-Cl, 6-Cl and 5-Cl homologue groups. Sampling locations and potential sources grouped in principal component analysis. Results of PCA plots highlighted a large variability of the PCB mixture in air, hence possible related sources, in Bursa area. Calculated inhalation risk levels in this study indicated no serious adverse health effects. This study is one of few efforts to characterize PCB composition in ambient air seasonally and spatially for urban and industrial areas of Turkey by using passive samplers as an alternative sampling method for concurrent monitoring at multiple sites

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and alternative flame retardants (NFRs) in indoor and outdoor air and indoor dust from Istanbul-Turkey: Levels and an assessment of human exposure.

Levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and novel brominated flame retardants (NFRs) were measured in ambient outdoor air, indoor air and indoor dust collected in homes and offices at urban, semi-urban and rural locations in Istanbul, Turkey. Indoor air levels of Σ12PBDEs in homes and offices ranged from 36 to 730 pg/m3 and 160 to 10 100 pg/m3, respectively, while levels of Σ12NFRs ranged from 180 to 7600 pg/m3 and 180 to 42 400 pg/m3, respectively. Outdoor air levels ranged from 110 to 620 pg/m3 for Σ12PBDEs and 750 to 2800 pg/m3 for Σ12NFRs. I/O ratios that are greater than 1 suggest that air concentrations detected in indoor environments are mainly from indoor sources. Indoor dust levels in homes and offices of Σ12PBDEs ranged from 400 to 12 500 ng/g and 330 to 32 200 ng/g respectively and levels of Σ12NFRs ranged from 320 to 31 400 ng/g and 910 to 97 900 ng/g, respectively. The I/O ratios \u3e1 for PBDEs and NFRs may indicate that emissions of these chemicals detected in homes and offices are mainly from indoor sources. Due to childrens\u27 frequent hand-to-mouth behaviour, lower body weight and increased dust ingestion rate compared to adults, exposure rates to target chemicals for children were greater than those of adults. Based on median concentrations of chemicals of interest in dust and air samples from Istanbul, we estimate that exposure rates of children to PBDEs and NFRs are up to 160 times higher compared to adults but none of the estimated exposure rates results for children or adults were than the recommended daily oral reference dose values of certain analytes

Atmospheric polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the United Kingdom

The occurrence of PBDEs has been studied in the atmosphere of four sites in the United Kingdom over a period of ten years. The concentrations have exhibited a sharp decrease after 2001-2003. This is evident in the urban sites of Manchester and London and at the semi-rural site of Hazelrigg. The average Sigma PBDE half-lives for these three sites were 3.4, 2.0 and 3.5 years respectively. Sigma PBDEs concentrations in the UK (in 2010 Sigma PBDEs < 10 pg m(-3)) are among the lowest reported in literature. Comparison of concentrations to estimated emissions and employment of PBDE profiles suggest that PBDEs in the UK atmosphere originate from primary emissions from products that contain mainly the penta-BDE technical mixture. The detection of BDE-183 in the majority of samples hints that octa-bromodiphenylether has also been used extensively in the UK, however to a smaller extent than the penta- product. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Ambient air concentrations and risk assessment of selected organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) across five Middle Eastern countries

This paper presents data obtained from concurrently deployed polyurethane foam disk passive samplers in Kuwait, Turkey, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Oman between January and October 2018. The study’s main goal was to initiate a passive air sampling network across the Middle East to generate comparable data, which will help report obligations of the various countries and be used in protocol discussions. The ∑24OCP concentrations were highest in the samples collected from Kartaba in Lebanon (7780 pg·m-3), and the lowest concentration was recorded at the BUTAL site in the Bursa province of Turkey (7.27 pg·m-3). The mean ambient ∑24OCP concentrations on a country-specific basis over consecutive sampling campaigns were: Lebanon (1680 pg·m-3) &gt; Bursa (Turkey) (78.7 pg·m-3) &gt; Oman (55 pg·m-3) &gt; Kuwait (42 pg·m-3) &gt; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (19.1 pg·m-3). The results show no cancer risk due to inhalation of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in ambient air. This study provides the first reliable measurements of the spatial variability in the atmospheric concentrations of OCPs across several Middle Eastern countries, providing a baseline for assessing time trends in air, one of the core matrices for the effectiveness evaluation of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

Informal E -waste recycling in nine cities of Pakistan reveals significant impacts on local air and soil quality and associated health risks

The global increase in electronic waste (e-waste) has led to a rise in informal recycling, emitting hazardous heavy metals (HMs) that threaten human health and ecosystems. This study presents the first comprehensive assessment of HM levels in dry deposition and soils at proximity of forty (40) informal e-waste recycling sites across Pakistan, between September 2020 to December 2021. Findings reveal that Zn (1410), Pb (410) and Mn (231) exhibited the higher mean deposition fluxes (μg/m2.day), derived from air samples, particularly in Karachi. Similarly, soils showed higher mean concentrations (μg/g dw) of Mn (477), Cu (514) and Pb (172) in Faisalabad, Lahore, and Karachi, respectively. HMs concentrations were found higher in winter or autumn and lower in summer. In addition, HM levels were significantly (p = 0.05) higher at recycling sites compared to background sites year-round, highlighting the e-waste recycling operations as the major source of their emissions. The Igeo index indicated moderate to extremely contaminated levels of Cu, Pb, Cd, and Ni in Karachi, Lahore and Gujranwala. Ingestion was found as a leading human exposure route, followed by dermal and inhalation exposure, with Pb posing the greatest health risk. The Cumulative Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) model suggested moderate to low cancer risks for workers. Strategic interventions recommend mitigating health and environmental risks, prioritizing human health and ecosystem integrity in Pakistan's e-waste management