PCDD/Fs in ambient air in north-east Italy: the role of a MSWI inside an industrial area.
The stack gases of a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI), and ambient air were sampled in four locations around the plant for the analysis of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDDs/Fs). The sampling area was close to an industrial area near Trieste, in north-east Italy. The purpose of the study was to estimate the impact of the MSWI emissions and to distinguish the contribution of these emissions from other potential emission sources in the industrial area. PCDD/F atmospheric concentrations were similar to those generally detected in urban-rural areas with one location about 2-3 times more contaminated than the others. Since the most contaminated location was inside the industrial area but upwind of the MSWI, principal component analysis (PCA) was used to establish whether other sources were the cause. This analysis clearly showed that a local steel plant's emission was the main source of PCDDs/Fs in ambient air. This study highlights the usefulness of multivariate data analysis such as PCA to identify, among different potential emission sources, the one really responsible for the contamination.
Colombo
Andrea
A
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", Via La Masa 19, 20156 Milano, Italy. colombo@marionegri.it
Benfenati
Emilio
E
Mariani
Giulio
G
Lodi
Marco
M
Marras
Roberto
R
Rotella
Giuseppe
G
Senese
Vincenzo
V
Fattore
Elena
E
Fanelli
Roberto
R
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000032:analysis*; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D017745:Incineration; D007558:Italy; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis; D025341:Principal Component Analysis
D000393:Air Pollutants; D001572:Benzofurans; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins