title: Factors governing the atmospheric deposition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to remote areas.
abstract: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were measured in bulk atmospheric deposition collected in three remote areas of Europe during 1997-1998. Mean total PAH fluxes over a period of 18 months were 1560 +/- 750 and 1150 +/- 630 ng m(-2) mo(-1) in the Pyrenees and the Alps, respectively. In the Caledonian mountains (Scandinavia) the observed mean fluxes were 1900 +/- 940 ng m(-2) mo(-1) (6 month collection). Similar qualitative PAH compositions (p values <0.05) in the bulk atmospheric deposition have been observed between sites, which are dominated by the more volatile parent compounds. The main differences between lakes are related to the high molecular weight compounds. Atmospheric deposition of PAH to these remote sites appears to be independent of their concentrations in the atmosphere, which are similar between sites (in the range of 1.8-3.0 ng x m(-3)), being controlled mainly by particle deposition, followed by precipitation and air temperature. A multilevel regression model including these three variables accounted for 74% of the total variability in total PAH bulk deposition; however, the contribution of each variable in the model is compound and site-dependent. The deposition of high molecular weight PAH depends more on particle deposition and precipitation, whereas air temperature is the main factor controlling the deposition fluxes of the low molecular weight PAH.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemical and Environmental Research (ICER-CSIC), Jordi Girona, 18, 08034-Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. pfrqam@iiqab.csic.es
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Guillem
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carrera
authors.forename: Joan O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Grimalt
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ventura
authors.forename: Lluís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Camarero
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Catalan
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Nickus
authors.forename: Hansjörg
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Thies
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Psenner
mesh_terms: D000392:Air Movements; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005060:Europe; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D011891:Rain; D013696:Temperature; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons