title: Assessing atmospheric concentration of polychlorinated biphenyls by evergreen Rhododendron maximum next to a contaminated stream.
abstract: Conifers are often used as an air passive sampler, but few studies have focused on the implication of broadleaf evergreens to monitor atmospheric semivolatile organic compounds such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In the present study, the authors used Rhododendron maximum (rhododendron) growing next to a contaminated stream to assess atmospheric PCB concentrations. The present study area was located in a rural setting and approximately 2 km downstream of a former capacitor plant. Leaves from the same mature shrubs were collected in late fall 2010 and winter and spring 2011. Polychlorinated biphenyls were detected in the collected leaves, suggesting that rhododendron can be used as air passive samplers in rural areas where active sampling is impractical. Estimated ΣPCB (47 congeners) concentrations in the atmosphere decreased from fall 2010 to spring 2011 with concentration means at 3990 pg m(-3) , 2850 pg m(-3) , and 931 pg m(-3) in fall 2010, winter 2011, and spring 2011, respectively. These results indicate that the atmospheric concentrations at this location continue to be high despite termination of active discharge from the former industrial source. Leaves had a consistent pattern of high concentrations of tetra-CBs and penta-CBs similar to the congener distribution in polyethylene passive samplers deployed in the water column, suggesting that volatilized PCBs from the stream were the primary source of contaminants in rhododendron leaves. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:2192-2198. © 2016 SETAC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, Clemson University, Anderson, South Carolina, USA.|Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Viet D
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.affiliation: US Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Walters
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, Clemson University, Anderson, South Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Cindy M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D001272:Atmosphere; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D029793:Rhododendron / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012621:Seasons; D013022:South Carolina; D014835:Volatilization; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
keywords: Contaminated stream; Evergreen rhododendron; Lake Hartwell; PCB volatilization; Superfund site