Presencia de compuestos orgánicos persistentes y contaminantes emergentes en muestras de aire ambiente urbano (original) (raw)

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and emerging pollutants (EP) with POP characteristics are persistent, toxic and bioaccumulative compounds that are widely distributed both in biotic and abiotic matrices, including ambient air. There is still a great lack of knowledge about their air levels and gas-particle partitioning (distribution between gas phase and particulate matter). It is in this regard that the present study tries to provide relevant information, evaluating the presence, levels, profiles, congener patterns, seasonality, sources and toxic content of several families of COP and EP in urban ambient air. For this purpose, several ambient air samples were collected in the city of Madrid, using high-volume active air samplers and passive air samplers. Samples obtained were analyzed to determine the content of the following contaminants: polychlorinated dibenzo-pdioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hexabromobenzene (HBBz), pentabromoethylbenzene (PBEB), 2,2´,4,4´,5,5´-hexabromobiphenyl (BB-153), 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane (BTBPE), decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), Mirex, Dechlorane 602, 603, 604 and 605 (Dechlorane Plus, DP) and Chlordane Plus (CP). Gas phase and airborne particulate matter were studied separately, discriminating among various particle sizes (total suspended particles TSP, PM 10 , PM 2,5 and PM 1). In addition, the influence of meteorological parameters on these results was analyzed. The toxic content of PCDD/F and dioxin-like PCBs, and the risk to human health as a result of the inhalation of PCDD/F, dlPCB, PBDE and DP, were also evaluated. The use of two types of samplers allowed the comparison of the results obtained with both methodologies. PCBs, PBDEs, DP and PCDD/Fs were detected in all samples analyzed. PCBs were the major pollutants, which were mainly associated to the gas phase. On the other hand, PBDEs, DP and PCDD/Fs were mainly bounded to particulate matter. Great differences were detected among the studied congeners and families of pollutants with regard to particle size. The other compounds evaluated presented less frequency of quantification, although all of them were detected in at least one of the samples analyzed. With respect to toxic content, dioxin like PCBs were the main contributors, and the inhalation risk assessment concluded that the inhalation of PCDD/Fs, dlPCBs, PBDEs and DP pose a low cancer risk in the studied area. VI Sources of POPs and emerging pollutants in urban ambient air were also identified from the study of congener patterns, seasonality, influence of meteorological parameters and Clausius-Clapeyron equation. Finally, results obtained with active and passive samplers were compared. No significant differences were found between PBDEs, DP and PCDD/Fs levels, nor in the toxic content. However, PCB concentrations showed significant differences between both types of samplers, due to maximum levels quantified during spring and summer months with the active ones, which do not correspond with levels obtained with passive samplers. All the results showed the ability of passive samplers to collect particles. VII ABREVIATURAS Y ACRÓNIMOS AEE Aparatos eléctricos y electrónicos AEMA Agencia europea de medio ambiente AEMET Agencia estatal de meteorología ATSDR Agencia para sustancias tóxicas y el registro de enfermedades Avances en Ciencias e Ingeniería