Long-range atmospheric transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is worldwide problem - results from measurements at remote sites and modelling

Despite the fact that the occurrence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the atmospheric environment has been studied for decades the photochemistry, deposition and, consequently, the long-range transport potential (LRTP) are not well understood. The reason is gas-particle partitioning (GP...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acta Chimica Slovenica
Main Authors: Gerhard Lammel, Alice Dvorská, Jana Klánová, Jiri Kohoutek, Petr Kukucka, Roman Prokes, Aissa M Sehili
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Slovenian Chemical Society 2015
Subjects:
aerosol
atmospheric modelling
free troposphere
Arctic
Antarctic
Africa
Chemistry
QD1-999
The Antarctic
Antarc*
Antarctica
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.17344/acsi.2015.1387
https://doaj.org/article/277962cdfdb540fd90dbf32f118eff87
Description
Summary:Despite the fact that the occurrence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the atmospheric environment has been studied for decades the photochemistry, deposition and, consequently, the long-range transport potential (LRTP) are not well understood. The reason is gas-particle partitioning (GPP) in the aerosol, its sensitivity to temperature and particulate phase composition, and sampling artefacts', and reactivity's sensitivities towards particulate phase composition. Furthermore, most PAHs are subject to re-volatilisation upon deposition to surfaces (multihopping). Levels and sources of 2-6-ring unsubstituted PAHs were studied in remote environments of Europe, Africa and Antarctica. Global atmospheric transport and fate of 3-5-ring PAHs were simulated under various scenarios of photochemistry and GPP. GPP influences drastically the atmospheric lifetime, compartmental distributions and the LRTP of PAH. Mid latitude emissions seem to reach the Arctic but not the Antarctic.

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