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| Titel |
Record high peaks in PCB concentrations in the Arctic atmosphere due to long-range transport of biomass burning emissions |
| VerfasserIn |
S. Eckhardt, K. Breivik, Stein Manø, A. Stohl |
| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| ISSN |
1680-7316
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| Digitales Dokument |
URL |
| Erschienen |
In: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ; 7, no. 17 ; Nr. 7, no. 17 (2007-08-31), S.4527-4536 |
| Datensatznummer |
250005181
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 copernicus.org/acp-7-4527-2007.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
| Soils and forests in the boreal region of the Northern Hemisphere are
recognised as having a large capacity for storing air-borne Persistent
Organic Pollutants (POPs), such as the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
Following reductions of primary emissions of various legacy POPs, there is an
increasing interest and debate about the relative importance of secondary
re-emissions on the atmospheric levels of POPs. In spring of 2006, biomass
burning emissions from agricultural fires in Eastern Europe were transported
to the Zeppelin station on Svalbard, where record-high levels of many air
pollutants were recorded (Stohl et al., 2007). Here we
report on the extremely high concentrations of PCBs that were also measured
during this period. 21 out of 32 PCB congeners were enhanced by more than two
standard deviations above the long-term mean concentrations. In July 2004,
about 5.8 million hectare of boreal forest burned in North America, emitting
a pollution plume which reached the Zeppelin station after a travel time of
3–4 weeks (Stohl et al., 2006). Again, 12 PCB congeners
were elevated above the long-term mean by more than two standard deviations,
with the less chlorinated congeners being most strongly affected. We propose
that these abnormally high concentrations were caused by biomass burning
emissions. Based on enhancement ratios with carbon monoxide and known
emissions factors for this species, we estimate that 130 and 66 μg PCBs
were released per kilogram dry matter burned, respectively. To our knowledge,
this is the first study relating atmospheric PCB enhancements with biomass
burning. The strong effects on observed concentrations far away from the
sources, suggest that biomass burning is an important source of PCBs for the
atmosphere. |
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