Assessment of halogenated POPs and PAHs in three cities in the Yangtze River Delta using high-volume samplers

The objective of this study was to quantify organic chlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in air samples collected from July 2009 to April 2010 in Suzhou, Wuxi and Nantong in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) and to identify potential sources of these pollutants during the period. Gas- and particle-phase concentrations of these species were determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry on samples collected using high volume samplers. Phenanthrene, fluoranthene, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), p,p'-DDE, tri-CB (#18), tri-CB (#28) and deca-BDE (#209) were the most abundant compounds in the YRD. Average concentrations of these pollutants in Suzhou, Wuxi and Nantong, respectively, were 88.4, 105 and 69.5 ng/m(3) for PAHs, 162, 237 and 136 pg/m(3) for HCB, 35.7, 41.7 and 34.7 pg/m(3) for hexachlorocyclohexane, 131, 83.1 and 229 pg/m(3) for DDTs, 63.4, 52.4 and 31.7 pg/m(3) for chlordanes, 80.5, 51.8 and 65.1 pg/m(3) for PCBs, 30.4, 32.0 and 54.6 pg/m(3) for PBDEs (tri- to hepta-BDE) and 882, 807 and 1200 pg/m(3) for deca-BDE (#209). Concentrations of the emerging persistent organic pollutant, deca-BDE (#209), in the three cities were greater than those of other countries. Massive production and/or the use of commercialized deca-BDE (#209) may occur in metropolitan areas and development zones in the YRD.