Determination of the sampler type and rainfall effect on the deposition fluxes of the polychlorinated biphenyls

Abstract

Atmospheric concentration and deposition samples were collected between June 2008 and June 2009 in an urban sampling site Yavuzselim, Turkey. Eighty-three polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners were targeted in the collected samples. It was found that 90% of the total PCB concentration was in the gas phase. Deposition samples were collected by a wet-dry deposition sampler (WDDS) and a bulk deposition sampler (BDS). Average total deposition fluxes measured with the BDS in dry periods was 5500 +/- 2400 pg/(m(2)day); average dry deposition fluxes measured by the WDDS in the same period were 6400 +/- 3300 pg/(m(2)day). The results indicated that the sampler type affected the measured flux values. Bulk deposition samples were also collected in rainy periods by using the BDS and the average flux value was 8700 +/- 3100 pg/(m(2)day). The measured flux values were lower than the values reported for the urban and industrial areas. Dry deposition velocities for the WDDS and BDS samples were calculated 0.48 +/- 0.35 cm/s and 0.13 +/- 0.15 cm/s, respectively.