Journal article
Atmospheric PCB congeners across Chicago
Atmospheric environment (1994), Vol.44(12), pp.1550-1557
2010
DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2010.01.006
PMCID: PMC3171135
PMID: 21918637
Abstract
We have measured PCBs in 184 air samples collected at 37 sites in the city of Chicago using an innovative system of high-volume air samplers mounted on two health clinic vans. Here we describe results of sampling conducted from November 2006 to November 2007. The samples were analyzed for all 209 PCB congeners using a gas chromatograph with tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS). The ΣPCBs (sum of 169 peaks) in Chicago ranged from 75 pg m
−3 to 5500 pg m
−3 and primarily varied as a function of temperature. The congener patterns are surprisingly similar throughout the city even though the temperature-corrected concentrations vary by more than an order of magnitude. The average profile resembles a mixture of Aroclor 1242 and Aroclor 1254, and includes many congeners that have been identified as being aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists (dioxin-like) and/or neurotoxins. The toxic equivalence (TEQ) and neurotoxic equivalence (NEQ) in air were calculated and investigated for their spatial distribution throughout the urban-industrial complex of Chicago. The NEQ concentrations are linearly correlated with ΣPCBs while the TEQ concentrations are not predictable. The findings of this study suggest that airborne PCBs in Chicago are widely present and elevated in residential communities; there are multiple sources rather than one or a few locations of very high emissions; the emission includes congeners associated with dioxin-like or neurotoxic effects and congeners associated with unidentified sources.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Atmospheric PCB congeners across Chicago
- Creators
- Dingfei Hu - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and IIHR-Hydroscience and Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USAHans-Joachim Lehmler - Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USAAndres Martinez - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and IIHR-Hydroscience and Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USAKai Wang - Department of Biostatistics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USAKeri C Hornbuckle - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and IIHR-Hydroscience and Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Atmospheric environment (1994), Vol.44(12), pp.1550-1557
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2010.01.006
- PMID
- 21918637
- PMCID
- PMC3171135
- NLM abbreviation
- Atmos Environ (1994)
- ISSN
- 1352-2310
- eISSN
- 1873-2844
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2010
- Academic Unit
- Civil and Environmental Engineering; Occupational and Environmental Health; Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Biostatistics; IIHR--Hydroscience and Engineering
- Record Identifier
- 9983997337502771
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