Evaluation and application of a passive air sampler for polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)

Abstract

Sampling of 15 PAHs by the use of both passive air sampler developed (D-PAS) in our research group and PAS (C-PAS) having widespread use in the literature was conducted to compare the performances of the samplers. Sampling was carried out for 1-year period (February 2013-February 2014), in different sampling periods by employing D-PAS and C-PAS. D-PAS and C-PAS were run in parallel for 10, 20, 30, 40 and 60 days. Sampling rates were calculated for both PASs by the use of concentration values obtained from a high-volume air sampler (HVAS). It was determined that calculated sampling values are different from each other by definition of design of C-PAS and D-PAS and difference in environment as velocity of wind and temperature are having different effects upon sampling rates. Collected sigma(15)PAHs amounts of 10-day periods in spring, summer, autumn and winter were obtained as 576 +/- 333, 209 +/- 29, 2402 +/- 910 and 664 +/- 246 ng for D-PAS and 1070 +/- 522, 318 +/- 292, 6062 +/- 1501 and 6089 +/- 4018 ng for C-PAS, respectively. In addition, according to seasons, when collected PAHs in two different samplers were considered, similar results were obtained for the summer time in which no combustion takes place with the aim of domestic heating, while there were differences determined for the seasons with combustion in need of domestic heating. Gas-phase sigma(15)PAHs' concentrations were reported depending on seasons in the spring, summer, autumn and winter sequences as 46 +/- 32, 9 +/- 3, 367 +/- 207 and 127 +/- 93 ng m(-3) for HVAS, respectively.