TY - JOUR

T1 - Diurnal fluctuations in polybrominated diphenyl ether concentrations during and after a severe dust storm episode in Kuwait City, Kuwait

AU - Gevao, Bondi

AU - Jaward, Foday M.

AU - Macleod, Matthew

AU - Jones, Kevin C.

PY - 2010/11/1

Y1 - 2010/11/1

N2 - Concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were quantified in four-hour integrated air samples obtained serially over a five day period in May 2007 in Kuwait City during and after a severe dust storm. The ΣPBDE concentrations ranged from 51 to 1307 pg m-3 for the first two days of sampling and 20 to 148 pg m-3 for the rest of the sampling period. The first two days of sampling occurred during a severe dust storm episode when the total suspended particulates (TSP) in air exceeded 1000 μg/m3 with concentrations peaking during the day and decreasing at night. During this dust episode, the peak nighttime PBDE concentration was 30 times higher than the minimum daytime concentration. Although ΣPBDE concentrations peaked at night during the first two sampling days, the fluctuations in the BDE 47:99 ratio tracked changes in ambient temperature remarkably well, following a clear diurnal pattern. The fraction of congeners in the gas phase varied inversely with solar flux and was lower on days with a high number of hours of sunshine, suggesting that photolytic degradation of gas-phase PBDEs was occurring.

AB - Concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were quantified in four-hour integrated air samples obtained serially over a five day period in May 2007 in Kuwait City during and after a severe dust storm. The ΣPBDE concentrations ranged from 51 to 1307 pg m-3 for the first two days of sampling and 20 to 148 pg m-3 for the rest of the sampling period. The first two days of sampling occurred during a severe dust storm episode when the total suspended particulates (TSP) in air exceeded 1000 μg/m3 with concentrations peaking during the day and decreasing at night. During this dust episode, the peak nighttime PBDE concentration was 30 times higher than the minimum daytime concentration. Although ΣPBDE concentrations peaked at night during the first two sampling days, the fluctuations in the BDE 47:99 ratio tracked changes in ambient temperature remarkably well, following a clear diurnal pattern. The fraction of congeners in the gas phase varied inversely with solar flux and was lower on days with a high number of hours of sunshine, suggesting that photolytic degradation of gas-phase PBDEs was occurring.

U2 - 10.1021/es101148j

DO - 10.1021/es101148j

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 20942478

AN - SCOPUS:78549271770

VL - 44

SP - 8114

EP - 8120

JO - Environmental Science and Technology

JF - Environmental Science and Technology

SN - 0013-936X

IS - 21

ER -