Airborne PCB Concentrations in Portland, Oregon: Emissions and Contributions from the Portland Harbor Superfund Site

Alexis R. Slade; Andres Martinez; Martine E. Mathieu-Campbell; Cassie Cohen; Shannon Lea Watkins; Keri C. Hornbuckle

doi:10.1021/acsestair.5c00244

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Airborne PCB Concentrations in Portland, Oregon: Emissions and Contributions from the Portland Harbor Superfund Site

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Airborne PCB Concentrations in Portland, Oregon: Emissions and Contributions from the Portland Harbor Superfund Site

Alexis R. Slade, Andres Martinez, Martine E. Mathieu-Campbell, Cassie Cohen, Shannon Lea Watkins and Keri C. Hornbuckle

ACS ES&T air, Vol.2(12), pp.2922-2931

12/12/2025

DOI: 10.1021/acsestair.5c00244

PMCID: PMC12706737

PMID: 41409463

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Abstract

We investigated airborne concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) near the Portland Harbor Superfund Site (PHSS), a historical and culturally significant location. In collaboration with residents, we measured airborne PCBs using polyurethane foam passive air samplers (PUF–PAS) deployed for 6 weeks. Additionally, we estimated PCB emissions based on the flux calculations from Portland Harbor (PH) water using PCB concentrations reported by the U.S. EPA to predict airborne PCB concentrations with an atmospheric dispersion model (AERMOD). Measured airborne total PCB concentrations ranged from 70 to 910 pg m–3 with a geometric mean of 330 pg m–3, which is lower than concentrations observed in other known PCB-contaminated areas in the U.S. Air congener distributions resembled commercial Aroclor mixtures 1016 and 1242, and estimated PCB flux from the water averaged 450 ± 120 ng m–2 d−1. Predicted airborne PCB concentrations ranged from 1 to 124 pg m–3, with enrichment in non-Aroclor congeners when PH water is the sole source. However, all predicted concentrations were lower than measured values and exhibited different congener distributions, suggesting that PCB flux from PH water contributes only a minor portion (∼2%) of Portland’s airborne PCB burden, and that additional PCB sources exist within the community.

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Title: Subtitle: Airborne PCB Concentrations in Portland, Oregon: Emissions and Contributions from the Portland Harbor Superfund Site
Creators: Alexis R. Slade - University of Iowa
Andres Martinez - University of Iowa
Martine E. Mathieu-Campbell - North Carolina State University
Cassie Cohen - Community Food Security Coalition
Shannon Lea Watkins - University of Iowa
Keri C. Hornbuckle - University of Iowa
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: ACS ES&T air, Vol.2(12), pp.2922-2931
DOI: 10.1021/acsestair.5c00244
PMID: 41409463
PMCID: PMC12706737
NLM abbreviation: ACS EST Air
ISSN: 2837-1402
eISSN: 2837-1402
Publisher: American Chemical Society
Language: English
Electronic publication date: 11/13/2025
Date published: 12/12/2025
Academic Unit: Civil and Environmental Engineering; Occupational and Environmental Health; IIHR--Hydroscience and Engineering; Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Human Toxicology; Community and Behavioral Health
Record Identifier: 9985033878002771

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