title: Temporal variations of perfluoroalkyl substances and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in alpine snow.
abstract: The occurrence and temporal variation of 18 perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and 8 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the European Alps was investigated in a 10 m shallow firn core from Colle Gnifetti in the Monte Rosa Massif (4455 m above sea level). The firn core encompasses the years 1997-2007. Firn core sections were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (PFASs) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (PBDEs). We detected 12 PFASs and 8 PBDEs in the firn samples. Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA; 0.3-1.8 ng L(-1)) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA; 0.2-0.6 ng L(-1)) were the major PFASs while BDE 99 (<MQL-4.5 ng L(-1)) and BDE 47 (n.d.-2.6 ng L(-1)) were the major PBDEs. This study demonstrates the occurrence of PFASs and PBDEs in the European Alps and provides the first evidence that PFASs compositions may be changing to PFBA-dominated compositions.
authors.affiliation: Department for Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Coastal Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany. kirchgeorg@unive.it
authors.forename: Torben
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kirchgeorg
authors.forename: Annekatrin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dreyer
authors.forename: Jacopo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gabrieli
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kehrwald
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sigl
authors.forename: Margit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwikowski
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boutron
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gambaro
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barbante
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ebinghaus
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000531:Altitude; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis*; D012914:Snow / Q000737:chemistry*; D062211:Spatio-Temporal Analysis; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical