Monitoring PAHs in the petrochemical area of Tarragona County, Spain: comparing passive air samplers with lichen transplants.
The levels of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in 8 passive air samples (PAS) and 6 lichen transplants (Ramalina fastigiata) deployed for a period of 2 months in different zones of Tarragona County (Catalonia, Spain), an area with an important number of chemical and petrochemical industries. The accumulated amount of the sum of the 16 PAHs ranged between 1363 to 7866 ng/sample in air samples. The highest concentration was found in the neighborhood of Puigdelfí (village of Perafort), in the vicinity of a big oil refinery and well under the potential influence of the petrochemical emissions. In lichen samples, the sum of the 16 PAHs ranged between 247 and 841 ng/g (dry weight), being the greatest value also observed in Puigdelfí. Data on the levels and profiles of PAHs in both passive monitoring methods were compared. A significant positive linear correlation was found between the concentrations of low molecular weight PAHs in lichens and the amounts accumulated in passive air samples (R = 0.827, P < 0.05), being especially significant the correlation of 4-ring PAHs (R = 0.941, P < 0.05). These results strongly suggest that lichens can be used to monitor gas-phase PAHs, providing data that can be quantitatively translated into equivalents for air.
Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Departament d'Enginyeria Quimica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Països Catalans 26, 43007, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain.|Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Sant Llorenç 21, 43201, Reus, Catalonia, Spain.
Noelia
N
Domínguez-Morueco
Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Departament d'Enginyeria Quimica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Països Catalans 26, 43007, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. anasofia.pachecomarques@urv.cat.|Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, FCUL, Campo Grande, C2, Piso 5, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal. anasofia.pachecomarques@urv.cat.
Sofia
S
Augusto
Departament de Química Analítica i Química Orgànica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Campus Sescelades, Marcel lí Domingo, s/n, 43007, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain.
Laura
L
Trabalón
Departament de Química Analítica i Química Orgànica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Campus Sescelades, Marcel lí Domingo, s/n, 43007, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain.
Eva
E
Pocurull
Departament de Química Analítica i Química Orgànica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Campus Sescelades, Marcel lí Domingo, s/n, 43007, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain.
Francesc
F
Borrull
Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Departament d'Enginyeria Quimica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Països Catalans 26, 43007, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain.|Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Sant Llorenç 21, 43201, Reus, Catalonia, Spain.
Marta
M
Schuhmacher
Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Sant Llorenç 21, 43201, Reus, Catalonia, Spain.
José L
JL
Domingo
Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Sant Llorenç 21, 43201, Reus, Catalonia, Spain.
Martí
M
Nadal
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D008011:Lichens / Q000737:chemistry*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D013030:Spain
D000393:Air Pollutants; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Biomonitoring; Lichens samples; Passive air sampling (PAS); Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); Polyurethane foams (PUF); Tarragona, Spain