title: Development of a comprehensive analytical method for the determination of chlorinated paraffins in spruce needles applied in passive air sampling.
abstract: Conifer needles are used for the monitoring of atmospheric persistent organic pollutants. The objective of the present study was to develop a method for the detection of airborne chlorinated paraffins (CPs) using spruce needles as a passive sampler. The method is based on liquid extraction of the cuticular wax layer followed by chromatographic fractionation and detection of CPs using two different GCMS techniques. Total CP concentrations (sum of short (SCCP), medium (MCCP) and long chain CPs (LCCP)) were determined by EI-MS/MS. SCCP and MCCP levels as well as congener group patterns (n-alkane chain length, chlorine content) could be evaluated using ECNI-LRMS. For the first time, data on environmental airborne CPs on spruce needles taken within the Monitoring Network in the Alpine Region for Persistent and other Organic Pollutants (MONARPOP) are presented providing evidence that spruce needles are a suitable passive sampling system for the monitoring of atmospheric CPs.
authors.affiliation: Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research, Laboratory for Analytical Chemistry, Uberlandstrasse 129, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland. saverio.iozza@empa.ch
authors.forename: Saverio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iozza
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oehme
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000032:analysis*; D010232:Paraffin / Q000032:analysis*; D028222:Picea / Q000737:chemistry*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010232:Paraffin