CONCENTRATIONS, TRENDS AND VEHICLE SOURCE PROFILE OF POLYNUCLEAR AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS IN THE UK ATMOSPHERE

Intensive seasonal sampling campaigns were undertaken at an urban site in the West Midlands conurbation and simultaneously at a nearby rural location with hi-vol and medium volume samplers modified in order to collect particulate and vapour phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by means of filters and polyurethane foam plugs (PUFs). Eightee n PAH species were determined by means of Soxhlet extraction followed by clean-up and reversed-phase HPLC with in-series W-visible and fluor escence detectors. PAH at the urban site were found to be present in g reater concentrations than at the rural site by a factor of approximat ely four, and concentrations in the winter campaign exceeded those in the summer by a factor of five. Gas-particle partitioning characterist ics of the various PAH in air were investigated and found consistent w ith Yamasaki's equation. Present data suggest that PAH concentrations have decreased in the U.K., probably quite dramatically, over the past 15 years. A sampling study carried out in the Queensway road tunnel i n central Birmingham, revealed concentrations of PAHs and total suspen ded particulates (TSP) approximately one order of magnitude greater th an levels found in ambient air samples from the urban location during winter. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.