Assessing persistent organic pollutants (POPS) in the sicily island atmosphere, mediterranean, using PUF disk passive air samplers

In this study, PUF disk passive air samplers were deployed at eight sites, during two sampling periods, on the Island of Sicily in the Mediterranean basin. Samples were screened for a number of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (n = 28 congeners), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) (n = 16 compounds), and polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDEs n = 28) using GC-MS. PCB concentrations in air ranged ~10- 300 pg m 123. The PCB pattern was dominated by lower to middle molecular weight PCBs (Cl3-5) and PCB-28 and PCB-52 were the most abundant congeners. \u3b1- and \u3b3- Hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) concentrations in air were relatively high ~420 \ub1 320 (50-1000) and 460 \ub1 340 (30- 1000) pg m 123, respectively, with an average \u3b1/\u3b3 ratio of 1 \ub1 0.5, indicating a tendency of higher use of lindane than of technical HCH. Among DDTs, only p,p\u2032-DDT 90 \ub1 15 (~10-800) and p,p\u2032-DDE 60 \ub1 60 (20-400) were frequently detected. DDT/DDE = 0.4-3.0 (1.0 \ub1 0.7 for both periods) suggesting past and fresh inputs of DDTat the sampling sites. \u3b1-Endosulfan, recently included in Annex A of the Stockholm Convention, fluctuated between 120 \ub1 50 (50-1000) pg m 123. In contrast, PBDE levels were very low (0.2-2 pgm 123). Back trajectories of advection suggest that POP levels are mainly related to local sources (primary or secondary) from Sicily (50-70% contribution of air masses), Southern Italy, and Sardinia (20%). This study provides new information for POP levels in the atmosphere of the Mediterranean region