Summertime PAH assembly in Mediterranean air: The Herceg Novi sampling station as an example

Abstract

The results of an analysis of the total suspended particles (TSP), total solvent organic extracts (TSOE), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in aerosol samples collected from the atmosphere of Herceg Novi from 17th June to 15th September in 1998 and 1999 are presented. The TSP and TSOE concentrations were determined by the standard gravimetric method, whereas the PAHs from the organic part of the aerosol were analysed by the GC-MS method. The difference found in the TSP and TSOE contents between the two consecutive years (before and after the bombing of Yugoslavia) was attributed to changes in the intensity and origin of emissions from dominant sources, specific to the summer period of this region. The content and nature of the PAHs identified in the samples of 1998 and 1999 were also different, indicating the significance of traffic as the source of PAHs, which was of significantly lower intensity in 1999 (immediately after the war) due to the lower influx of tourists. Factor analysis showed that the PAH distribution at the measuring site in 1999 was largely determined by meteorological parameters, mainly by the average daily temperature and wind direction. In 1998, the dominant impact on the PAH distribution was attributed to traffic, both local and from a wider region, without an explicit impact of meteorological parameters.

U radu su prikazani rezultati analize ukupno suspendovanih čestica, ukupno ekstraktabilne organske supstance i policikličnih aromatičnih ugljovodonika (PAU) u uzorcima prikupljenim iz atmosfere Herceg Novog u periodu od 17. juna do 15. septembra 1998. i 1999. godine. Koncentracije suspendovanih čestica i ekstraktibilne organske supstance određene su standardnom gravimetrijskom metodom, dok su PAU iz organskog dela aerosola analizirani gasno-masenom spektrometrijon. Postojeća razlika između sadržaja suspendovanih čestica i ekstraktibilne organske supstance u analiziranom periodu dve uzastopne godine (pre i neposredno posle bombardovawa) pripisana je promenama intenziteta i porekla emisija iz dominantnih izvora, specifič nih za letnji period ovog regiona. Sadržaj i priroda identifikovanih PAU u uzorcima iz 1998. i 1999. godine su takođe različiti, što je ukazalo na značaj saobrać aja kao izvora PAU, koji je 1999. godine (neposredno posle rata), usled manjeg priliva turista, bio znatno slabijeg intenziteta. Rezultati faktorske analize pokazali su da je distribucija PAU na mernom mestu u 1999. godini bila odredjena primarno meteoparametrima, pre svega srednjom dnevnom temperaturom i pravcem vetra, dok je u letnjoj sezoni 1998. godine, dominantan uticaj na raspodelu PAU imao saobraćaj, kako lokalni, tako i iz šireg regiona, bez eksplicitnog uticaja meteorološ kih parametara.