Thirty-nine kinds of pesticides in the air were monitored in Kitakyush
u City. Air samples were collected by a high-volume air sampler equipp
ed with a quartz fiber filter and XAD-2 resin trap. After sampling abo
ut 700 m3 of air, pesticides were extracted with dichloromethane from
the quartz fiber filter and XAD-2 resin separately by ultrasonic metho
d. The extracts were concentrated and fractionated by silica gel colum
n chromatography. After adding internal standards, the sample solution
s were analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry with a selecte
d ion monitor (GC/MS-SIM) using a fused silica capillary column for th
e quantification of 39 kinds of pesticides. In order to evaluate the a
ccuracy of this method, a recovery test was performed. Standard compou
nds were spiked into the XAD-2 resin trap at a concentration level of
1 mug by sucking 700 m3 of sample air. The recovery efficiencies of al
most all tested pesticides yielded more than 70% and their relative st
andard deviations were less than 20%. This method was applied to monit
or pesticides in air collected in summer and spring seasons in Kitakyu
shu City. Of the 39 pesticides examined, 23 were detected in summer an
d 21 detected in spring. The concentration of Isofenphos, 10 ng m-3, w
as the highest in the summer sample and the concentration of propoxur,
11 ng m-3, in the spring sample.