Using passive ambient air samplers to spatially map POPs across Europe.

Dr. Andy Sweetman, Professor Kevin C. Jones,

Lancaster Environment Centre,Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK

Measurement evidence for compliance... UK Toxic Organic Micro-Pollutants network (TOMPs)

OBr

Br

Br

Br

Br

Br

Br

Br

Br

Br

UK TOMPs network

London - half life 2.3 to 3.6 years

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005

Su

mP

CB

(p

g/m

3)

Hazelrigg - half life 4.2 to 7.4 years

0

50

100

150

200

250

1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006

Su

mP

CB

(p

g/m

3)

Site Site type t½ PCBs† t½ PAHs† t½ PCDD/Fs

(TEQ) †

London urban 2.3 to 3.6 4.3 to 6.4 3.2 to 5.9

Manchester urban 5.7 to 12.4 3.1 to 8.4 4.1 to 9.7

Middlesborough urban 3.8 to 6.3 5 to 13.9 3.9 to 11.1

Hazelrigg semi-rural 4.2 to 7.4 6.6 to 24 No decrease

High Muffles rural 3.2 to 20.4 4.5 to 9.0 No decrease

Stoke Ferry rural 1.5 to 5.2 6.0 to 35 No decrease

Passive samplers in air

- samplers developed that provide weekly,

monthly or yearly time integrated air conc.

SPMDs

Polyethylene

PUF

POG

12.7/40.6 cm threaded rod

Spacer for adjusting gap

between upper and lower shields

mounting bracket

PUF disk (14 cm diameter 1.35 cm thick)

gaps / holes topermit air circulation

flat washer, then bracket,then lock washer, then wing nut

flat washer, then wing nut

bushing

ce

(Transparent side view)

12.7/40.6 cm threaded rod

Spacer for adjusting gap

between upper and lower shields

mounting bracket

PUF disk (14 cm diameter 1.35 cm thick)

gaps / holes topermit air circulation

flat washer, then bracket,then lock washer, then wing nut

flat washer, then wing nut

bushing

12.7/40.6 cm threaded rod

Spacer for adjusting gap

between upper and lower shields

mounting bracket

PUF disk (14 cm diameter 1.35 cm thick)

gaps / holes topermit air circulation

flat washer, then bracket,then lock washer, then wing nut

flat washer, then wing nut

bushing

ce

(Transparent side view)

12.7/40.6 cm threaded rod

Spacer for adjusting gap

between upper and lower shields

mounting bracket

PUF disk (14 cm diameter 1.35 cm thick)

gaps / holes topermit air circulation

flat washer, then bracket,then lock washer, then wing nut

flat washer, then wing nut

bushing

Diagram of PUF disk sampling device

Accuracy• Passive samplers and active samplers deployed at the

same site/duration

• Within a factor of 2 for various PAHs

• Including higher molecular weight compounds associated with particles…

0.01

0.1

1

10

0.01 0.1 1 10

Active sampler based air concentration (ng m-3)

Pas

sive

sam

ple

r b

ased

air

con

cen

trat

ion

(n

g m

-3)

Bartkow et al 2004

Jaward et al 2004

x = y

Measurements at the European

scale: passive air sampling

Atlantic Ocean

Black Sea

Mediterranean Sea

Caspian

Sea

Bal

tic

Sea

North Sea

Arctic Ocean

Arctic Circle

Ukraine

Spain

France

Sweden

Finland

Italy

Norway

Poland

Germany

Belarus

Romania

Iceland

United Kingdom

Greece

Bulgaria

Austria

Latvia

Hungary

Ireland

Lithuania

Croatia

Estonia

Slovakia

Czech Republic

Belgium

Portugal

Svalbard

Serbia & Montenegro

MoldovaSwitzerland

Albania

Denmark

Netherlands

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Slovenia

Macedonia

Luxembourg

Jan Mayen

Isle of Man

Andorra

Faroe Is.

Malta

Jersey

San MarinoMonaco

Gibraltar

Vatican City

Spatial Distribution of BaP in ambient air

Range 0.5 to 55 ng per sample

Sampling rate 3 m3 per day (42 days) = 130 m3 = 4 to 420 pg m-3

Atlantic Ocean

Black Sea

Mediterranean Sea

Caspian

Sea

Bal

tic

Sea

North Sea

Arctic Ocean

Arctic Circle

Legend

71

PCB153_132

PCB-153 (pg m-3)

Compounds Detection limit

(ng/sample)

Measured

range

(ng/sample)

H/L ratio Air conc

[pg/m3]

29PCB 0.03-0.64 2.5-280 >100 20-1700

12PAH 0.5 64-10400 >160 500-61200

8PBDE 0.06-1.5 0.06-43 >700 0.5-250

13PCN 0.1-1.3 0.03-34 >1100 0.2-200

HCB 0.13 1.4-9 6 11-50

Summary of European passive sampling results

Sampling rate of 3-4 m3/day (ca 130-170 m3)

Transect studies

610 x 720 km

290 x 620 km

Atlantic Ocean

Bal

tic

Sea

North Sea

Arctic Ocean

Legend

2

PBDEs

PBDEs levels in ng/sample for North European Atmospheric Transect survey 2004.

Atlantic Ocean

Black SeaB

altic

Sea

North Sea

Arctic Ocean Legend

18

PAHs

PAH levels in ng/sample for North European Atmospheric Transect survey 2004.

Passive samplers as a model validation tool

Comparison of calculated spatial distribution of PCB-153 contamination

with the results of passive sampling campaign in 2002

Passive sampling,

ng/sample< 1.5

1.5 – 4.5

> 4.5

Further development of passive ambient air samplers: directional information

Further development of passive ambient air samplers: particle sampling

Further development of passive ambient air samplers: particle sampling

Passive samplers – valuable tools!

• Used to study variability in space and time;

• Yield important clues about sources and the processes controlling underlying trends

• All this is possible using the PAS as ‘semi-quantitative tools’

• Continued improvements/refinements need to be made… especially to be used in support of regulations

• Possible new uses… source ID; point source screening; adapted in directional samplers; fluxes?