Temporal trends of PCDDs/PCDFs in ambient air in Catalonia (Spain)

This paper reports the results of an assessment of dioxin levels in ambient air in samples collected in the four provinces of Catalonia (Spain) performed by the Environment Department of the Autonomous Government of Catalonia and the Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC). The study includes compiled data of more than 133 samples collected in 28 different sites (rural, urban, suburban and industrial) between 1994 and 2002. The levels revealed a variable content of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDDs/PCDFs) depending both on the area and the contamination source. Thus, concentrations from 16 to 954 fg I-TEQ/Nm(3), with a mean value of 180 fg I-TEQ/Nm(3), were determined in industrial areas. The levels found in urban and suburban sites varied from 10 to 357 fg I-TEQ/Nm(3), with a mean value of 80 fg I-TEQ/Nm(3). The lowest concentrations were found in rural areas, ranging from 5 to 125 fg I-TEQ/Nm(3), with a mean value of 42 fg I-TEQ/Nm(3). As part of the project, levels of samples collected in parallel using two different samplers, a total suspended particulate (TSP) sampler and PM10 sampler, were compared. The results of 11 different campaigns indicated that both methods are comparable and no significant differences were determined.