title: Seasonal variations and source apportionment of complex polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon mixtures in particulate matter in an electronic waste and urban area in South China.
abstract: Complex polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) mixtures including parent PAHs, high molecular weight PAHs (MW 302 PAHs), and halogenated PAHs (HPAHs) were measured in particulate matter (PM) in an urban area and a rural electronic waste area in South China. The concentrations of MW < 302 PAHs at two sites were not significantly different with annual means of 23.2 ± 17.2 and 33.7 ± 29.0 ng/m3, respectively. However the concentrations of both MW 302 PAHs (5.35 ± 3.72 ng/m3) and HPAH (49.9 pg/m3) were significantly higher at the e-waste site than the urban site (2.81 ± 2.36 ng/m3and 28.2 ± 28.5 pg/m3), suggesting e-waste recycling being a significant source of these PAHs. The majority of PAHs exhibited higher concentrations in winter and spring and lower concentrations in fall and summer. Meteorological conditions and increased emissions of PAHs in northern China due to domestic heating in colder seasons are important factors influencing the PAH seasonal variations. Source apportionment by the chemical mass balance (CMB) model indicated that residential stoves (coal combustion), industrial boilers (coal combustion), biomass burning, and vehicular emission accounted for 38 ± 14%, 30 ± 11%, 22 ± 22%, and 10 ± 7% of the PAHs in the urban PM, respectively. Comparable contributions from these sources were also observed for PM at the e-waste site. PAH emission factors are needed for primitive e-waste recycling to further understand the importance of this source to ambient air.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China. Electronic address: chenshejun@gig.ac.cn.
authors.forename: She-Jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
authors.forename: Bi-Xian
authors.initials: BX
authors.lastname: Mai
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, United States; Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, United States. Electronic address: staci.simonich@orst.edu.
authors.forename: Staci L Massey
authors.initials: SLM
authors.lastname: Simonich
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D002681:China; D059029:Electronic Waste / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D007221:Industry; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D059027:Recycling; D012621:Seasons; D014507:Urbanization; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D001335:Vehicle Emissions
keywords: E-waste; Particulate matter; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon; Source apportionment; Urban