engleski

SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS IN THE AIR OF ZAGREB DURING WINTER

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) bound to airborne particulate matter are a group of organic compounds of significant interest with regard to human health. They generally occur as complex mixtures and products of incomplete combustion processes originating from natural and anthropogenic sources. One important source of PAHs are vehicle exhaust gases and domestic heating, which explains their usually high concentrations in winter. Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) is the most widely studied PAH and is often used as an indicator of carcinogenic hazard in polluted environments. In this study, PM10 samples (particulate matter with a diameter < 10 μm) were collected simultaneously at eight measuring sites in Zagreb, with different environmental conditions. 24-hour samples were collected on quartz filters from about 55 m3 of air over 30 days in winter. The measuring sites were located in the west (site A and B), east (site C), north (site D), south (site E), south-east (site F and H) and center (site G) of Zagreb. The analysis of the PAHs was performed using an Agilent Infinity 1260 high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a fluorescence detector and programmed changes in excitation and emission wavelengths. There were no statistical differences for PM10 mass concentrations between the measuring sites. For most of the PAHs, a statistically significant difference was not found between the sites, except for fluoranthene and pyrene at sites D and H, and for fluoranthene at sites E and H and sites E and F. Also, a statistically significant difference was found for mass concentrations of dibenzo(a, h)anthracene between site G and E. The highest average mass concentrations of BaP were measured at site H (3, 725 ng m-3), while the lowest average mass concentrations were recorded for site C (1, 897 ng m-3). The results show elevated PAH concentrations at all locations during winter, without significant differences in their levels between sites.

PAH ; PM10 ; HPLC

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