Dechlorane Plus and decabromodiphenyl ether in atmospheric particles of northeast Asian cities

Atmospheric particles were collected in several cities in Japan (Sapporo, Sagamihara, Kanazawa, and Kitakyushu), Korea (Busan), and China (Beijing) using a high-volume air sampler equipped with a quartz fiber filter. The summer and winter samples were analyzed using gas chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry for Dechlorane Plus (DP). Decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) was also analyzed for the samples from Kanazawa and Beijing. DP was detected in all samples. The mean total DP (ΣDP) concentration was highest (6.7 pg/m(3)) and lowest (0.87 pg/m(3)) in the winter samples from Sagamihara and Busan, respectively. The seasonal variation of DP concentrations varied by sampling site in this study. BDE-209 was detected in all the analyzed samples except for one of the Kanazawa winter samples. BDE-209 concentration was considerably higher in Beijing than in Kanazawa. Significant correlations were found between the concentrations of ΣDP and BDE-209 in the winter samples from Kanazawa and in both summer and winter samples from Beijing. This similarity in the atmospheric behavior of DP and BDE-209, especially in winter, is assumed to reflect a common end usage and release mechanism.