Polychlorinated naphthalenes in Great lakes air: assessing spatial trends and combustion inputs using PUF disk...

Passive air samplers made from polyurethane foam (PUF) disks housed in stainless steel chambers were deployed over four seasons during 2002-2003, at 15 sites in the Laurentian Great lakes, to assess spatial and temporal trends of polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs). Sampling rates, determined using depuration compounds pre-spiked into the PUF disk prior to exposure, were, on average, 2.9 +/- 1.1 m3 d(-1), consistent with previous studies employing these samplers. PCN air concentrations exhibited strong urban-rural differences-typically a few pg m(-3) at rural sites and an order of magnitude higher at urban sites (Toronto, 12-31 pg m(-3) and Chicago,13-52 pg m(-3)). The high concentrations at urban sites were attributed to continued emissions of historically used technical PCN. Contributions from combustion-derived PCNs seemed to be more important at rural locations where congeners 24 and 50, associated with wood and coal burning, were elevated. Congener 66/67, associated with incineration and other industrial thermal processes, was elevated at two sites and explained by nearby and/or upwind sources. Probability density maps were constructed for each site and for every integration period were shown to be a useful complement to seasonally integrated passive sampling data to resolve source-receptor relationship for PCNs and other pollutants.