The PCDD/F and PBDD/F pollution in the ambient atmosphere of Shanghai, China Original Research Article

Rapid economic growth in the last two decades in Shanghai has had a great adverse influence on its air quality. Therefore, the atmospheric pollutants of Shanghai have received much concern. In this study, concentrations of 2,3,7,8-substituted PCDD/Fs and PBDD/Fs congeners were measured in the ambient air of four districts in Shanghai. The mean atmospheric concentrations (TEQs) of total 2,3,7,8-PCDD/Fs and 2,3,7,8-PBDD/Fs were 8031 fg m−3 (497.1 fg I-TEQ m−3) and 1358 fg m−3 (304.1 fg I-TEQ m−3) for Jiading District, 5308 fg m−3 (289.0 fg I-TEQ m−3) and 709 fg m−3 (146.9 fg I-TEQ m−3) for Zhabei District, 4014 fg m−3 (144.4 fg I-TEQ m−3) and 1239 fg m−3 (256.9 fg I-TEQ m−3) for Pudong District, 3348 fg m−3 (143.2 fg I-TEQ m−3) and 699 fg m−3 (148.4 fg I-TEQ m−3) for Huangpu District, respectively. Our results showed that almost all the PCDD/Fs and PBDD/Fs congeners were partitioned into the particulate phase except the lower chlorinated or brominated ones. The logarithm of the gas/particle partitioning coefficient Kp has good linear correlation with that of the sub-cooled vapor pressure pL. Concentrations of PCDD/Fs and PBDD/Fs were both positively correlated to elemental carbon in all districts except Pudong District, suggesting elemental carbon could be a good indicator for dioxins’ air pollution. It is intensively suggested that more detailed and deeper studies about PBDD/Fs should be carried out due to their relatively high atmospheric concentrations in Shanghai.