Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the New Jersey Coastal Atmosphere

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Abstract

Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in the coastal New Jersey atmosphere as part of the New Jersey Atmospheric Deposition Network (NJADN). PAH results from the first year of atmospheric sampling (Oct 1997−Oct 1998) at a suburban site near New Brunswick, NJ and a coastal site at Sandy Hook, NJ are presented. PAHs (36) were analyzed at both sites including phenanthrene and benzo[a]pyrene whose concentrations ranged from 0.74 to 20.9 ng/m3 and 0.0020 to 0.62 ng/m3, respectively. PAH concentrations at the suburban site were 2× higher than concentrations measured at the coastal site, consistent with the closer proximity of NB to urban/industrial regions than SH. The seasonal trends of particulate PAH concentrations indicate that PAH sources such as fuel consumption for domestic heating and vehicular traffic drive their seasonal occur rence. While gaseous concentrations of methylated phenanthrenes and pyrene were higher during the winter and similar to high molecular weight PAHs, phenanthrene and fluoranthene show the opposite seasonal trend with concentrations peaking in the summer months. Because temperature accounted for less than 25% of the variability in atmospheric concentrations, seasonal variability could not be attributed to temperature-controlled air-surface exchange. PAH concentrations in the New Jersey coastal atmosphere indicate the importance of local and regional sources originating from urban/industrial areas to the N, NE, and to the SW.

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