Concentrations, profiles and gas-particle partitioning of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PBDEs in the ambient air of an E-waste dismantling area, southeast China

Polychlorinated diebenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated diebenzofurans (PCDFs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were monitored in the ambient air of Taizhou, an E-waste dismantling area of southeast China to evaluate their concentrations, profiles and gas-particle partitioning. The ΣPCDD/Fs concentrations ranged from 2.91 to 50.6 pg/m3, with an average of 14.3 pg/m3. The I-TEQs for PCDD/Fs were in the range of 0.20–3.45 pg/m3, with an average of 1.10 pg/m3. The ΣPCBs concentrations and TEQs ranged from 4.23 to 11.35 ng/m3, 0.050 to 0.859 pg(TEQ)/m3, respectively. The concentrations of ΣPBDEs ranged from 92 to 3086 pg/m3, with an average of 894 pg/m3. The pollution levels of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PBDEs were higher than other urban sites, which may be associated with the E-waste dismantling activities. The PCDD/Fs were found exclusively in the particle phase whereas PCBs distributed dominantly in the gas phase. The gas-partilce partitioning was also assessed by correlating the gas-particle partition coefficient (K p) with the subcooled liquid vapor pressure (P L 0). The measured particulate sorptions of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PBDEs were compared with the predictions from Junge-Pankow model and K oa absorption model. The Junge-Pankow model well estimated the particulate fractions of PCBs. However, it underestimated the sorptions of PCDD/Fs and overestimated the fractions of PBDEs. The predicted particulate fractions of PCDD/Fs and PCBs from K oa model fitted well with the measured data. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 20607025, 20777079 and 20737007)