LOCALIZED ENRICHMENT OF PCB LEVELS IN STREET DUST DUE TO REDISTRIBUTION BY WIND

As part of a project to identify PCB sources in combined sewer overflo ws discharging to the Buffalo River, NY, nine street and two unpaved a ggregate parking lot dust and dirt samples: were collected and analyze d for selected PCB congeners and total PCBs. Without exception, the du st and dirt samples had greater concentrations associated with the hig her-chlorinated homologue groups. PCB-congeners 153, 138, 101, 118, an d 180 contributed >50% of the total PCBs mass in each sample, suggesti ng contamination with Aroclors 1254 and 1260. Total PCB concentrations for the dust and dirt samples ranged between 90 and 1700 ng g(-1). Sa mples with the highest concentrations were located across the street a nd downwind from an industrial lot that had been remediated for PCB co ntamination in 1988. The industrial lot had been contaminated with Aro clors 1254 and 1260, indicating that contaminated soil had been locall y redistributed through natural and vehicle-generated wind. Calculatio ns based on the particle size of the street dust confirm the possibili ty of wind-induced redistribution. Street and aggregate lot dust and d irt potentially contribute to Buffalo River PCBs loadings through comb ined sewer overflows and stormwater runoff. best management practices such as more frequent street sweeping may be useful in reducing these loadings.