ATMOSPHERIC PENTACHLOROPHENOL CONCENTRATIONS IN RELATION TO AIR-TEMPERATURE AT 5 CANADIAN LOCATIONS

Pentachlorophenol (PCP), used as a wood preservative and as a disinfec tant, has been found in human urine samples from Saskatchewan and in a ir samples from three Canadian sites. To confirm the presence of atmos pheric PCP residues and to explore seasonality, weekly samples were co llected at five Canadian sites for three consecutive weeks, in the mon ths of July and October, 1995 and January, April and May, 1996, using a high volume sampler equipped with polyurethane foam (PUF) plugs. PCP was present in all samples collected adjacent to a utility pole stora ge site with concentrations ranging from 0.7 to 1233.0 ng m(-3). There was a very strong correlation between average weekly air temperature, measured over a range of -29.3 to +20.0 degrees C, and the log(10) of the average weekly concentration of PCP at this site. PCP was measure d in 7 of 11 air samples from each of two small cities (concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 6.8 ng m(-3)) and the correlation between tempera ture and PCP concentration, for these two city sites, was similar to t hat for the utility pole storage site. Concentrations of PCP at two ru ral sites were lowe; (0.1-1.5 ng m(-3)) and detected less frequently. As a consequence, the correlation between air temperature and PCP conc entration was more variable. (C)1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved