title: Factors influencing the atmospheric concentrations of PCBs at an abandoned e-waste recycling site in South China.
abstract: The diurnal atmospheric concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were investigated at an abandoned e-waste recycling site in South China during winter and summer. Total PCB concentrations during winter and summer were 27.6-212 and 368-1704pg/m3in the particulate phase and 270-697 and 3000-15,500pg/m3in the gaseous phase, respectively. Both gaseous and particulate PCB concentrations and compositions exhibited significant difference between winter and summer samples, but no diurnal variations during the measurement period. The correlation analysis between PCB concentrations and meteorological conditions, including atmospheric temperature, humidity, and mixing layer height, suggested that the seasonal variability of atmospheric PCB concentrations was strongly temperature-dependent, while the diurnal variability was probably source-dependent. The temperature-driven variations can also be proved by the significant linear correlation between ln P and 1/T in the Clausius-Clapeyron plot. Although government has implemented controls to reduce e-waste pollution, both the relatively high concentrations of PCBs and the diurnal variation in the air suggested that emissions from occasional e-waste recycling activities may still exist in this recycling area. These results underline the importance of continuing e-waste recycling site management long after abandonment.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (MOE), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China. Electronic address: wangyandut@dlut.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (MOE), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
authors.forename: Xiaowei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (MOE), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
authors.forename: Minmin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (MOE), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
authors.forename: Hongxia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (MOE), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
authors.forename: Ruize
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Chunling
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Gan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D001272:Atmosphere; D002681:China; D059029:Electronic Waste; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D059027:Recycling; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
keywords: Air; Diurnal variation; E-waste; PCBs; Seasonal variation