Semivolatile organic compounds in window films from lower Manhattan after the September 11th World Trade Center attacks.
The September 11th World Trade Center (WTC) terrorist attacks resulted in the large-scale release of contaminants that were deposited on the environment of New York City (NYC). Six weeks after the attacks, samples of an organic film on window surfaces were collected and analyzed for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCN), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). Concentrations dropped by an order of magnitude within 1 km of the WTC and reached background concentrations by 3.5 km. Concentrations within 1 km of the WTC averaged 3280 ng/m2 for sigmaPBDE, 900 ng/m2 for sigmaPCB, 33 ng/m2 for sigmaPCN, and 77100 ng/m2 for sigmaPAH. Congener profiles of the sites nearest the WTC suggested a combination of combustion and evaporative sources of all compounds, whereas the background sites exhibited profiles consistent with evaporative sources. PBDE profiles showed enrichment in lower molecular weight congeners near the WTC, suggesting that these congeners were formed as a result of the combustion conditions. Homologue fractions of PCN combustion markers were approximately 2-9 times greater at near WTC sites compared to background NYC. Gas-phase air concentrations were back-calculated from measured film concentrations using the film-air partition coefficient (KFA), and calculated air concentrations followed spatial trends observed in films.
Department of Geography, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Craig M
CM
Butt
Miriam L
ML
Diamond
Jennifer
J
Truong
Michael G
MG
Ikonomou
Paul A
PA
Helm
Gary A
GA
Stern
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D005843:Geography; D007306:Insecticides / Q000032:analysis; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000032:analysis; D009519:New York City; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis*; D010647:Phenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis; D011075:Polybrominated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D023481:Terrorism; D014835:Volatilization
D000393:Air Pollutants; D007306:Insecticides; D009281:Naphthalenes; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D010647:Phenyl Ethers; D011075:Polybrominated Biphenyls; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls