Particle size distribution and gas–particle partitioning of polychlorinated biphenyls in the atmosphere in Beijing, China - Liang Yong

Size-fractionated samples of urban particulate matter (PM; ≤1.0, 1.0–2.5, 2.5–10, and >10 μm) and gaseous samples were simultaneously obtained to study the distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the atmosphere in Beijing, China. Most recent investigations focused on the analysis of gaseous PCBs, and much less attention has been paid to the occurrence of PCBs among different PM fractions. In the present study, the gas–particle partitioning and size-specific distribution of PCBs in atmosphere were investigated. The total concentrations (gas + particle phase fractions) of Σ12 dioxin-like PCBs, Σ7 indicator PCBs, and ΣPCBs were 1.68, 42.1, and 345 pg/m3, respectively. PCBs were predominantly in the gas phase (86.8–99.0 % of the total concentrations). The gas–particle partition coefficients (K p ) of PCBs were found to be a significant linear correlated with …