Fatma Esen

Seasonal concentrations and partitioning of PAHs in a suburban site of Bursa, Turkey.

Effects of space heating on atmospheric concentrations and gas-particle partitioning of PAHs were investigated in a suburban site of Bursa, Turkey. The average concentrations of summation operator(15)-PAHs in heating season samples were approximately 10 times higher than those of non-heating season samples. The plot of log K(p) versus log P(L)(0) for all the data set gave significantly different slopes. The slope for the heating season (-0.75) samples was steeper than the one for the non-heating season (-0.64) samples. It was also observed that partitioning of PAHs for the non-heating season samples showed different characteristics depending on air parcel trajectories. Generally steeper slopes were obtained for the air parcels traveled across the Black sea and arrived to the sampling site from northern sector. On the other hand, the variations in slopes according to air mass origin were insignificant for the heating season samples. Local contributions from space heating are the reason for this observation.

Ambient Concentrations and Gas/Particle Partitioning of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in an Urban Site in Turkey

Atmospheric samples were collected between July 2004 and May 2005 in Bursa, Turkey, when there was no rain, and analyzed for gas and particle concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This study targeted 15 PAH compounds. Vapor-phase PAH compositions were dominated by the more volatile PAHs, relative to the particle phase. On average, 76% of the total (gas + particulate) PAH concentration was in the vapor phase. Average total PAH concentration was 298 ± 418 ng/m3. The large seasonal concentration fluctuation was attributed to residential heating, vaporization, industrial activities, and meteorological conditions. The measured average seasonal concentrations were 55 ± 40, 187 ± 202, 645 ± 588 and 148 ± 132 ng/m3 for summer, fall, winter, and spring, respectively. The partitioning of PAHs between gas and particle phases was investigated employing the Junge-Pankow model. Plots of log gas/particle partition coefficient (K p ) versus log liquid vapor pressures (PL o) had reasonable correlations for individual samples. Experimentally determined K p values were compared with the result obtained using absorption (octanol–air partition coefficient [K OA ]) into aerosol organic matter and adsorption (K SA + K OA ) onto soot carbon models. Experimentally determined K p values were generally in the same range with the ones obtained from the models.

Measurement of atmospheric deposition of polychlorinated biphenyls and their dry deposition velocities in an urban/industrial site in Turkey.

Dry deposition fluxes and total (gas+particle) concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured between August 2004 and May 2005. Samples were collected from an urban-industrial site of Bursa, Turkey. A stainless steel pot and a high volume air sampler (HVAS) were employed to collect deposition and ambient air samples, respectively. The dry deposition fluxes of PCBs ranged from 3600 to 56,000 pg m−2 d−1 while the total PCB concentrations collected simultaneously were between 35 and 348 pg m−3. The average dry deposition flux value was in line with the previously reported values. Possible variations in PCB fluxes were likely due to PCB and total suspended particle (TSP) concentrations, and meteorological conditions. No seasonal trends were observed for the bulk deposition samples. The 3- and 4- chlorobiphenyls (CBs) were abundant homolog groups in bulk and concentration samples with ratios of 67% and 90%, respectively. Apparent bulk deposition velocities were calculated by dividing the dry deposition flux value by particle phase air concentration values of PCBs measured with HVAS. The calculated apparent dry deposition velocities ranged from 0.23 cm s−1 to 3.09 cm s−1 (aver ± SD, 0.74 ± 0.23 cm s−1).

Evaluation of NOx and O3 Concentrations in the Atmosphere of Bursa, Turkey

This study summarizes seasonal variations of NOx and O3 concentration levels. Samples were taken between May 2001 and April 2002 in a monitoring site located in the city center of Bursa, Turkey. Owing to the emission rates and meteorological conditions, air pollutant concentrations varied. The annual average NOx and O3 concentrations were found to be 78.96 ± 70.39 μ g/m3 and 55.10 ± 32.53 μg/m3, respectively. In general, the maximum NOx concentrations (115.35 ± 38.83) occurred during the winter while minimum values (44.86 ± 17.10) were observed during the summer. This fluctuation probably caused by the residential heating, mixing height and photochemical activity in the region. On the other hand, ozone concentrations were higher in the summer by the effect of photochemical oxidation. This study may help in forensic investigations dealing with O3 sources in the atmosphere.

Development of a Passive Sampling Device Using Polyurethane Foam (PUF) to Measure Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Organochlorine Pesticides (OCPs) near Landfills

Recently passive air sampling techniques have been extensively studied and employed in the environmental monitoring of semi volatile chemicals. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) samples were collected for 4-week intervals throughout one year from a landfill in Bursa, Turkey. In this study, a passive air sampler (PAS) was designed using polyurethane foam (PUF). The differences between PAS employed in this study and in literature are their shape and ventilation approach. Ventilation pipes, located on top and bottom of the sampler, were employed to prevent precipitation and particles from entering inside the sampler. The sampling rates (R) for PUF was calculated as 7.3 m3/d for PCBs and as 3.9 m3/d for OCPs. The determined average concentrations were 311 ± 178 pg/m3 for PCBs, 198 ± 210 pg/m3 for OCPs.

Evaluation and application of a passive air sampler for polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)

ABSTRACT Sampling of 15 PAHs by the use of both passive air sampler developed (D-PAS) in our research group and PAS (C-PAS) having widespread use in the literature was conducted to compare the performances of the samplers. Sampling was carried out for 1-year period (February 2013–February 2014), in different sampling periods by employing D-PAS and C-PAS. D-PAS and C-PAS were run in parallel for 10, 20, 30, 40 and 60 days. Sampling rates were calculated for both PASs by the use of concentration values obtained from a high-volume air sampler (HVAS). It was determined that calculated sampling values are different from each other by definition of design of C-PAS and D-PAS and difference in environment as velocity of wind and temperature are having different effects upon sampling rates. Collected σ15PAHs amounts of 10-day periods in spring, summer, autumn and winter were obtained as 576 ± 333, 209 ± 29, 2402 ± 910 and 664 ± 246 ng for D-PAS and 1070 ± 522, 318 ± 292, 6062 ± 1501 and 6089 ± 4018 ng for C-PAS, respectively. In addition, according to seasons, when collected PAHs in two different samplers were considered, similar results were obtained for the summer time in which no combustion takes place with the aim of domestic heating, while there were differences determined for the seasons with combustion in need of domestic heating. Gas-phase σ15PAHs’ concentrations were reported depending on seasons in the spring, summer, autumn and winter sequences as 46 ± 32, 9 ± 3, 367 ± 207 and 127 ± 93 ng m−3 for HVAS, respectively.

Effects of sampling interval on the passive air sampling of atmospheric PCBs levels

ABSTRACT In this study, we collected Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) using passive air samplers (PASs), between February 4, 2013 and February 2, 2014, with the sampling periods ranging from 10 to 60 days. The samples were collected with PASs that contained polyurethane foam (PUF). With these samples, 87 PCB congeners were analyzed. Sampling coefficient (R) values for the four seasons were calculated using both the high volume air sampler (HVAS) and PAS samples collected with the same time interval. The average of the annual concentrations of 87 PCB congeners, calculated using the R values specific to this study, was 234 ± 175 pg/m3. PCB congeners with 3- and 4- chlorines were dominant. The samples were collected at the same time interval but at different times to represent accumulation in the PASs. The linear regression coefficients (r) of the PCB mass accumulated in PASs against time ranged from 0.89 and 0.97 indicating that accumulation was linear. Moreover, the concentrations of the PCB congeners were statistically correlated with atmospheric conditions.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in indoor and outdoor air in Turkey: Estimations of sources and exposure

ABSTRACT The aim of the current study was to measure polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in eight indoor (In both kitchen and living room) air sampling locations using a passive sampling method for collection. Passive outdoor air samples were also collected from 3 of the same sampling locations as the indoor air sampling sites. Sampling was conducted in three seasons. The summer season, when windows are generally open, was between 18th July and 01st September, 2014; the autumn and winter seasons, when windows are mostly closed, was between 18th October and 01st December, 2014, and 01st December, 2014, and 18th January, 2015, respectively. Average PAH concentrations in summer were 22 ± 21 ng/m3 and 17 ± 12 ng/m3 in the living room and kitchen, respectively, whereas living room and kitchen average PAH concentrations were 23 ± 16 ng/m3 and 20 ± 9 ng/m3, respectively, in autumn and 23 ± 13 ng/m3 and 23 ± 24 ng/m3, respectively, in winter. Outdoor air PAH concentrations in summer, autumn and winter were 7 ± 0.4 ng/m3, 22 ± 13 ng/m3 and 209 ± 33 ng/m3, respectively. An increase in outdoor PAH concentrations was measured in winter compared to the concentrations in summer and autumn, which paralleled the lower outdoor air temperature. However, PAH concentrations in the indoor environment vary according to the household characteristics and personal habits.

İÇ VE DIŞ ORTAM HAVA ÖRNEKLERİNDE POLİAROMATİK HİDROKARBONLARIN (PAH’ların) İNCELENMESİ: BURSA ÖRNEĞİ

Bu calismada, Bursa ilindeki on iki farkli ev ortamindan alinan ic ve dis ortam hava orneklerinde Poliaromatik (PAH’larin) konsantrasyonlari belirlenmistir. Ornekleme kapi ve pencerelerin acik oldugu yaz ve havalarin sogumaya basladigi sonbahar donemini yansitmasi bakimindan 2014 yili Temmuz ve Aralik aylari arasinda gerceklestirilmistir. PAH konsantrasyonlari pasif ornekleyiciler kullanilarak toplanmistir . Yaz donemi icin toplam ortalama PAH konsantrasyonu oturma odasi, mutfak ve dis ortam havasinda sirasiyla 20±17, 22±28, 10±6 ng/m 3 olarak belirlenmistir. Sonbahar donemi icin ise toplam ortalama PAH konsantrasyonu oturma odasi, mutfak ve dis ortamda sirasiyla 27±19, 21±10, 20±11 ng/m 3 degerlerini almistir. Yaz donemi oturma odasi ve mutfak orneklerinde cocuklarin kanser potansiyellerinin yetiskinlere gore iki kat daha fazla oldugu hesaplanmistir. Sonbahar doneminde cocuklarin kanser olma potansiyelleri yetiskinlerden yaklasik 2,5 kat daha fazla oldugu belirlenmistir. Hesaplanan tani oranlarina gore yaz ve sonbahar donemleri icin PAH kirletici kaynaginin yanma kokenli oldugu tespit edilmistir.