D. Nakajima et al., SEASONAL-CHANGES IN THE CONCENTRATION OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS IN AZALEA LEAVES AND RELATIONSHIP TO ATMOSPHERIC CONCENTRATION, Chemosphere, 30(3), 1995, pp. 409-418
Seasonal changes in the concentrations of the polycyclic aromatic hydr
ocarbons (PAH) perylene, benzo[a]pyrene and pyrene in azalea leaves an
d in the atmosphere (measured separately, in the vapor and particulate
phases) were followed at two sites with different traffic conditions
in Tokyo. The concentrations of the compounds in the leaves (PAH-leV)
and in suspended particulate matter (SPM) (PAH-pat) decreased in summe
r and increased in winter, whereas the pyrene concentration in the vap
or phase decreased from autumn to winter and increased in spring. The
concentrations of non-volatile benzo[a]pyrene and perylene in the leav
es were approximately proportional to those in SPM. The concentration
of volatile pyrene in the leaves was correlated to that in the vapor p
hase by an equation based on the Langmuir adsorption hypothesis, log[P
AH-vap]/[PAH-lev] = -A/T + B (where A and B are constants and T is tem
perature), indicating that most of the pyrene in leaves was taken up b
y adsorption from the vapor phase.