Journal article
Congener-Specific Emissions from Floors and Walls Characterize Indoor Airborne Polychlorinated Biphenyls
Environmental science & technology letters, Vol.10(9), pp.762-767
08/21/2023
DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00360
PMCID: PMC10501191
PMID: 37719204
Appears in UI Libraries Support Open Access
Abstract
To reconcile the federal regulation of material polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations with recently implemented state regulations of airborne PCBs, there is a need to characterize the relationship between PCB emissions from surfaces and air concentrations. We hypothesized that the magnitude and congener distribution of emissions from floors and walls fully account for the airborne PCBs measured in rooms constructed during the height of PCB production and sales. We measured emissions of PCB congeners from various wall and floor materials using polyurethane foam passive emission samplers before and after hexane wiping. Our results revealed that PCB emissions from flooring adequately predicted the magnitude and congener distribution of PCBs observed in the room air. Emissions varied by material within a single building (5 × 103 ng m–2 day–1 from wood panel walls to 3 × 104 ng m–2 day–1 from vinyl tile) and within the same room. Yet congener distributions between material emission PCB profiles and room air PCB profiles were statistically similar. Hexane wiping significantly reduced PCB emissions (>60%), indicating the importance of surface films as an ongoing source of airborne PCBs. The magnitude and congener distribution of material bulk concentrations did not explain that of material emissions or air concentrations. Passive measurements of polychlorinated biphenyl emissions from floors in a university building predict the concentrations of PCBs in room air.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Congener-Specific Emissions from Floors and Walls Characterize Indoor Airborne Polychlorinated Biphenyls
- Creators
- Moala K. Bannavti - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, IIHR−Hydroscience & Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, United StatesRachel F. Marek - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, IIHR−Hydroscience & Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, United StatesCraig L. Just - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, IIHR−Hydroscience & Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, United StatesKeri C. Hornbuckle - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, IIHR−Hydroscience & Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, United States
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Environmental science & technology letters, Vol.10(9), pp.762-767
- DOI
- 10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00360
- PMID
- 37719204
- PMCID
- PMC10501191
- NLM abbreviation
- Environ Sci Technol Lett
- ISSN
- 2328-8930
- eISSN
- 2328-8930
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100000066, name: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, award: P42ES013661; DOI: 10.13039/100000082, name: Division of Graduate Education, award: 1633098; name: SK Nanda Foundation; name: Neil B. Fisher Foundation
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 08/21/2023
- Academic Unit
- Civil and Environmental Engineering; Occupational and Environmental Health; IIHR--Hydroscience and Engineering; Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Human Toxicology; Iowa Superfund Research Program
- Record Identifier
- 9984459659102771
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