ES&T Guest Comment: Celebrating Bidleman’s 1988 “Atmospheric Processes”

Since its 1988 appearance in ES&T, Terry F. Bidleman’s article, “Atmospheric processes: wet and dry deposition of organic compounds are controlled by their vapor-particle partitioning”, has had a notable impact on the field of contaminant science. The paper has been cited in over 600 journal articles published by authors from every continent. Far from fading into obscurity, the paper’s influence has been remarkably consistent. Citations over the last year match the annual average attained since publication

Global intercomparison of polyurethane foam passive air samplers evaluating sources of variability in SVOC measurements

Polyurethane foam passive air samplers (PUF-PAS) are the most common type of passive air sampler used for a range of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), including regulated persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and emerging contaminants (e.g., novel flame retardants, phthalates, current-use pesticides). Data from PUF-PAS are key indicators of effectiveness of global regulatory actions on SVOCs, such as the Global Monitoring Plan of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. While most PUF-PAS use similar double-dome metal shielding, there is no standardized dome size, shape, or deployment configuration, with many different PUF-PAS designs used in regional and global monitoring. Yet, no information is available on the comparability of data from studies using different PUF-PAS designs. We brought together 12 types of PUF-PAS used by different research groups around the world and deployed them in a multi-part intercomparison to evaluate the vari-ability in reported concentrations introduced by different elements of PAS monitoring. PUF-PAS were deployed for 3 months in outdoor air in Kjeller, Norway in 2015-2016 in three phases to capture (1) the influence of sampler design on data comparability, (2) the influence of analytical variability when samplers are analyzed at different laboratories, and (3) the overall variability in global monitoring data introduced by differences in sampler configurations and analytical methods. Results indicate that while differences in sampler design (in particular, the spacing between the upper and lower sampler bowls) account for up to 50 % differences in masses collected by samplers, the variability introduced by analysis in different laboratories far exceeds this amount, resulting in differences spanning orders of magnitude for POPs and PAHs. The high level of variability due to analysis in different laboratories indicates that current SVOC air sampling data (i.e., not just for PUF-PAS but likely also for active air sampling) are not directly comparable between laboratories/monitoring programs. To support on-going efforts to mobilize more SVOC data to contribute to effectiveness evaluation, intercalibration exercises to account for uncertainties in air sampling, repeated at regular intervals, must be established to ensure analytical comparability and avoid biases in global-scale assessments of SVOCs in air caused by differences in laboratory performance

Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever in Turkey

Nineteen cases of suspected Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever reported from Turkey

Measurement of the vapor phase deposition of polychlorinated bipheyls (PCBs) using a water surface sampler

A water surface sampler (WSS) was employed in combination with greased knife-edge surface deposition plates (KSSs) to measure the vapor phase deposition rates of PCBs to the sampler at an urban site, Chicago, IL. This sampler employed a water circulation system that continuously removed deposited PCBs. Total (gas + particle) and particulate PCB fluxes were collected with the WSS and KSSs, respectively. Gas phase PCB fluxes were then calculated by subtracting the KSS fluxes (particulate) from the WSS fluxes (gas + particle). The calculated gas phase PCB fluxes averaged 830 +/- 910 ng m(-2) d(-1). This flux value is, in general, higher than the fluxes determined using simultaneously measured air-water concentrations in natural waters and is in the absorption direction. This difference is primarily because the PCBs were continuously removed from the WSS water keeping the water PCB concentration near zero. Concurrently, ambient air samples were collected using a modified high volume air sampler. The gas phase PCB concentrations ranged between 1.10 and 4.46 ng m(-3) (average +/- SD, 2.29 +/- 1.28 ng m(-3)). The gas phase fluxes were divided by the simultaneously measured gas phase ambient concentrations to determine the overall gas phase mass transfer coefficients (MTCs) for PCBs. The average gas phase overall MTCs (K.) for each honiolog group ranged between 0.22 and 1.32 cm s(-1) (0.54 +/- 0.47cm s(-1)). The average MTC was in good agreement with those determined using similar techniques

Particle-phase dry deposition and air–soil gas exchange of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Izmir, Turkey

Ambient air and dry deposition samples were collected at suburban and urban sites in Izmir, Turkey. Atmospheric total (particle + gas) 14PAHs concentrations were 36±39 and 144±163 ngm−3 for suburban and urban sites, respectively. Phenanthrene was the most abundant compound at all sites, and all samples were dominated by low molecular weight PAHs. Average particulate 14PAH dry deposition fluxes were 8160±5024 and 4286±2782 ngm−2 day−1 and overall average particulate dry deposition velocities were 1.5±2.4 and 1.0±2.3cms−1 for suburban and urban sites, respectively. Soil samples were collected at suburban site. Average soil concentration for 14PAH was 55.9±14.4 ng g−1 dry weight. Calculated gas-phase air–soil exchange fluxes indicated that fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, and carbazole were deposited to soil in winter while they were volatilized in summer. Other compounds (fluoranthene-benzo[g,h,i]perylene) were deposited to soil in both periods. Annual average fluxes of PAHs representing soil to air (i.e., gas volatilization) and air to soil transfer (i.e., gas absorption, dry deposition, and wet deposition) processes were also compared. All processes were comparable for 14PAHs however their input was dominated by gas absorption. Gas absorption dominated for lower molecular weight PAHs, however dry deposition dominated for higher molecular weight PAHs. The results have suggested that for fluorene, soil and air may be approaching a steady state condition. For the remaining compounds, there was a net accumulation into the soil.The Research grant (ICTAGC033) from the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK)