| Summary: | Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are a group of chemicals that have been used for more than a century. OPEs are widely used as flame retardants, plasticizers, anti-foaming agents and as additives in lubricants and hydraulic fluids. The results of a screening assessment carried out by Umeå University in 2004 showed that OPEs can be found in for example air, deposition and snow, both near and far from emission sources. That the atmosphere is an important route of transportation for these substances has also been shown in later studies showing that several OPEs occur in Arctic air and biota. However, they have never been part of the regular environmental air monitoring program in Sweden. The aim of this study was to get an idea of the levels of OPEs in background air and the importance of air transportation of these chemicals in Sweden and northern Finland. Sample extracts from the regular environmental monitoring program of organic pollutants in air were used for the analyses and the results were evaluated in order to propose future measurement programs. The measured OPEs were TEP, TiBP, TnBP, TCEP, TCPP, TDCP, TBEP, TEHP, TPhP, EHDPP, ToCrP and TCrP mix. TCEP, TCPP and EHDPP were measured in the highest concentrations. Unfortunately, TPhP and TCrP mix were excluded from the results due to the detection of contamination from the polyurethane plugs used as adsorbents. To get an idea of the regional distribution, air samples were taken from the three stations, Råö at the Swedish west coast, Norunda at the east of Sweden and Pallas in northern Finland. Generally, the highest levels of OPEs were measured in Pallas and the lowest in Norunda. For TCEP and EHDPP, a geographical variation could be distinguished with highest concentrations in the north and lowest in the south. To get information about seasonal variations, sample extracts for the OPE-analyses were taken from the ordinary measurements for one year (2018), from January to December. Seasonal variations were observed for TCPP and TCEP at Råö, where higher levels ...
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