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© 2020. This work is published under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are not declining in Arctic air despite reductions in their global emissions. In Svalbard, the Longyearbyen coal-fired power plant is considered to be one of the major local sources of PAHs. Power plant stack emissions and ambient air samples, collected simultaneously at 1 km (UNIS) and 6 km (Adventdalen) transect distance, were analysed (gaseous and particulate phases separately) for 22 nitro-PAHs, 8 oxy-PAHs, and 16 parent PAHs by gas chromatography in combination with single quadrupole electron capture negative ionization mass spectrometry (GC-ECNI-MS) and gas chromatography in combination with triple quadrupole electron ionization mass spectrometry (GC-EI-MS/MS). Results confirm low levels of PAH emissions (16 PAHs =1.5 µg kg-1 coal) from the power plant. Phenanthrene, 9,10-anthraquinone, 9-fluorenone, fluorene, fluoranthene, and pyrene accounted for 85 % of the plant emission (not including naphthalene). A dilution effect was observed for the transect ambient air samples: 1.26±0.16 and 0.63±0.14 ng m-3 were the sum of all 47 PAH derivatives for UNIS and Adventdalen, respectively. The PAH profile was homogeneous for these recipient stations with phenanthrene and 9-fluorenone being most abundant. Multivariate statistical analysis confirmed coal combustion and vehicle and marine traffic as the predominant sources of PAHs. Secondary atmospheric formation of 9-nitroanthracene and 2+3-nitrofluoranthene was evaluated and concluded. PAHs partitioning between gaseous and particulate phases showed a strong dependence on ambient temperatures and humidity. The present study contributes important data which can be utilized to eliminate uncertainties in model predictions that aim to assess the extent and impacts of Arctic atmospheric contaminants.

Details

Title
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and oxy- and nitro-PAHs in ambient air of the Arctic town Longyearbyen, Svalbard
Author
Drotikova, Tatiana 1 ; Ali, Aasim M 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Halse, Anne Karine 3 ; Reinardy, Helena C 4 ; Kallenborn, Roland 1 

 Department of Arctic Technology, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), Longyearbyen, 9171, Norway; Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, 1432, Norway 
 Department of Contaminants and Biohazards, Institute of Marine Research (IMR), Bergen, 5817, Norway 
 Department of Environmental Chemistry, Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), Kjeller, 2007, Norway 
 Department of Arctic Technology, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), Longyearbyen, 9171, Norway; Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), Oban, Argyll, PA37 1QA, United Kingdom 
Pages
9997-10014
Publication year
2020
Publication date
2020
Publisher
Copernicus GmbH
ISSN
16807316
e-ISSN
16807324
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2437357818
Copyright
© 2020. This work is published under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.