title: Releases of chlorobenzenes, chlorophenols and dioxins during fireworks.
abstract: In fireworks, organic additives with high chlorine content such as hexachlorobenzene (HCB) are used for the improvement of illumination effects. In the course of a monitoring campaign for the detection of HCB in fireworks, atmospheric concentrations of chlorobenzenes (CBs), chlorophenols (CPs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), were measured during the Swiss National holiday August 1, 2011 which is celebrated with fireworks nationwide. Samples were collected in the city of Zurich using high-volume air samplers equipped with quartz fiber filters and poly-urethane foam plugs. With one sampling period of 3h, a peak HCB concentration of 297 pg m(-3) was detected. Maximum total concentrations of pentachlorophenol and PCDD/Fs were 218 pg m(-3) and 61 fg I-TEQ m(-3), respectively. These levels are in the order of ten times above background concentrations measured one week before and two weeks after the event. Atmospheric emissions of HCB and CPs were quantified using a multimedia mass balance model to interpret the field measurements resulting in total emissions of HCB and CPs during the event of 23 g and 25 g, respectively. Based on per capita amounts this corresponds to total annual emissions from fireworks of 1.5 kg for each of the two pollutants in Switzerland. Starting from an estimation of the total worldwide emissions of HCB, in Switzerland emissions from fireworks may represent about 2-14% of total HCB releases.
authors.affiliation: Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research, Überlandstrasse 129, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland. Electronic address: peter.schmid@empa.ch.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.affiliation: Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zurich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 10, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bogdal
authors.affiliation: Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zurich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 10, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Zhanyun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research, Überlandstrasse 129, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Azara
authors.affiliation: Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research, Überlandstrasse 129, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Regula
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haag
authors.affiliation: Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Urs
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: von Arx
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000032:analysis*; D002722:Chlorobenzenes / Q000032:analysis*; D002733:Chlorophenols / Q000032:analysis*; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005390:Fires; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis; D013557:Switzerland
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D001572:Benzofurans; D002722:Chlorobenzenes; D002733:Chlorophenols; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins
keywords: Atmosphere; Chlorobenzene; Chlorophenols; Dioxin; Fireworks; Hexachlorobenzene