Partitioning between polyurethane foam and the gas phase: data compilation, uncertainty estimation and implications for air sampling

Archetypes of Spatial Concentration Variability of Organic Contaminants in the Atmosphere: Implications for Identifying Sources and Mapping the Gaseous Outdoor Inhalation Exposome

Whereas inhalation exposure to organic contaminants can negatively impact human health, knowledge of their spatial variability in the ambient atmosphere remains limited. We analyzed the extracts of passive air samplers deployed at 119 unique sites in Southern Canada between 2019 and 2022 for 353 organic vapors. Hierarchical clustering of the obtained data set revealed four archetypes of spatial concentration variability in the outdoor atmosphere, which are indicative of common sources and similar atmospheric dispersion behavior. "Point Source" signatures are characterized by elevated concentration in the vicinity of major release locations. A "Population" signature applies to compounds whose air concentrations are highly correlated with population density, and is associated with emissions from consumer products. The "Water Source" signature applies to substances with elevated levels in the vicinity of water bodies from which they evaporate. Another group of compounds displays a "Uniform" signature, indicative of a lack of major sources within the study area. We illustrate how such a data set, and the derived spatial patterns, can be applied to support the identification of sources, the quantification of atmospheric emissions, the modeling of air quality, and the investigation of potential inequities in inhalation exposure.

Comparability of semivolatile organic compound concentrations from co-located active and passive air monitoring networks in Europe

Passive air sampling (PAS) has been used to monitor semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) for the past 20 years, but limitations and uncertainties persist in the derivation of effective sampling volumes, sampling rates, and concentrations. As a result, the comparability of atmospheric levels measured by PAS and concentrations measured by active air sampling (AAS) remains unclear. Long-term PAS data, without conversion into concentrations, provide temporal trends that are similar to, and consistent with, trends from AAS data. However, for more comprehensive environmental and human health assessments of SVOCs, it is also essential to harmonize and pool air concentration data from the major AAS and PAS monitoring networks in Europe. To address this need, we calculated and compared concentration data for 28 SVOCs (including organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)) at the six monitoring sites in Europe with 10 years of co-located AAS (EMEP) and PAS (MONET) data: Birkenes, Košetice, Pallas, Råö, Stórhöfði, and Zeppelin. Atmospheric SVOC concentrations were derived from PAS data using the two most common computation models. Long-term agreement between the AAS and PAS data was strong for most SVOCs and sites, with 79% of the median PAS-derived concentrations falling within a factor of 3 of their corresponding AAS concentrations. However, in both models it is necessary to set a sampler-dependent correction factor to prevent underestimation of concentrations for primarily particle-associated SVOCs. In contrast, the models overestimate concentrations at sites with wind speeds that consistently exceed 4 m s^-1. We present two recommendations that, if followed, allow MONET PAS to provide sufficiently accurate estimates of SVOC concentrations in air so that they can be deployed together with AAS in regional and global monitoring networks.

Polyurethane-Based Face Mask as a Sampling Device for Environmental Tobacco Smoke

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), also known as secondhand smoking, contains human carcinogens associated with the development of many human diseases, including stroke, heart disease, leukemia, and lung cancer. Due to these adverse health effects, a sensitive and selective method is crucial for assessing the health impacts of ETS. While current methods to evaluate ETS exposure are either invasive or nonspecific and insensitive, in this study, we assessed the use of polyurethane foam face masks as a sampling medium to collect tobacco smoke-specific nicotine and nitrosamines for estimating personal exposure to ETS. This method was used in conjunction with tandem mass spectrometry coupled with isotope-dilution detection. After validation by comparison with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health standard method (NIOSH 2551) for nicotine, we quantitated ETS exposure in indoor and outdoor environments. The analysis shows the applicability of the method for monitoring nicotine down to ∼0.20 mg/m³ near an outdoor smoking hotspot and up to ∼5.2 mg/m³ in a room with burning cigarettes, all with a time resolution as short as 5 min. In comparison with the NIOSH method, the newly developed method is convenient, inexpensive, and does not require a personal sampling pump, thus can facilitate large-scale ETS exposure monitoring.