Temperature dependence of DCDD/F isomer distributions from chlorophenol precursors

The temperature dependence of the gas-phase, rate-limited formation of dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (DCDD) and dichlorodibenzofuran (DCDF) isomers from 2,6-dichlorophenol and 3-chlorophenol, respectively, has been studied experimentally in an isothermal flow reactor over the range 300-900 degrees C under pyrolytic, oxidative and catalytic conditions and computationally using semi-empirical molecular orbital methods. At high temperatures, distributions of sets of DCDD/F condensation products are consistent with the calculated thermodynamic distributions, indicating that the relative rates of formation are governed by differences in symmetry and steric hindrance present in the isomer product structures. At low temperatures, however, this is not the case. In the case of 1,6- and 1,9-DCDD formed from 2, 6-dichlorophenol via Smiles rearrangement, the 1,6 isomer is favored at low temperatures more than thermodynamically predicted. This result appears to be consistent with kinetic effects of either the expansion of the five-membered ring Smiles intermediate or a lower activation energy six-membered ring intermediate pathway that produces only the 1,6 isomer. For formation of 1,7-, 3,7- and 1,9-DCDF from 3-chlorophenol, the 1,7 isomer fraction increases at low temperatures whereas thermodynamics predicts a decrease. This result can be attributed to steric effects in alternative "sandwich-type" approach geometries of phenoxy radicals to form the o,o'-dihydroxybiphenyl (DOHB) intermediate via its keto-tautomers. Higher level molecular theory (ab initio) is needed to provide a more quantitative description of these kinetics.

Aromatic hydrocarbon growth from indene

Aromatic hydrocarbon growth from indene (C9H8), which contains the five-membered ring cyclopentadienyl moiety, was investigated experimentally in a 4 s flow reactor over a temperature range 650-850 degrees C. Major products observed were three C18H12 isomers (chrysene, benz[a]anthracene and benzo[c]phenanthrene), two C17H12 isomers (benzo[a]fluorene and benzo[b]fluorene), and two C10H8 isomers (naphthalene and benzofulvene). Reaction pathways to these products are proposed. Indenyl radical addition to indene produces a resonance-stabilized radical intermediate which further reacts by one of two routes. Rearrangement by intramolecular addition produces a bridged structure that leads to the formation of C17H12 and C10H8 products. Alternatively, beta scission produces biindenyl, which leads to the formation of C18H12 products by a ring condensation mechanism analogous to that proposed for cyclopentadiene-to-naphthalene conversion. Temperature dependencies of both the partitioning between these two routes and the product isomer distributions are consistent with thermochemical modeling using semi-empirical molecular orbital methods. The results further illustrate the role of resonance-stabilized radical rearrangement in aromatic growth and condensation of systems with cyclopentadienyl moieties.

Interim results of the study of particulates and health in Atlanta (SOPHIA)

Substantial evidence supports an association of particulate matter (PM) with cardiorespiratory illnesses, but little is known regarding characteristics of PM that might contribute to this association and the mechanisms of action. The Atlanta superstation sponsored by the Electric Power Research Institute as part of the Aerosol Research and Inhalation Epidemiology Study (ARIES) study is monitoring chemical composition of ambient particles by size fraction, as well as a comprehensive suite of other pollutants, at a site in downtown Atlanta during the 25-month period, August 1, 1998-August 31, 2000. Our investigative team is making use of this unique resource in several morbidity studies, called the "Study of Particulates and Health in Atlanta (SOPHIA)". The study includes the following components: (1) a time series investigation of emergency department (ED) visits for the period during which the superstation is operating; (2) a time series investigation of ED visits during the 5 years prior to implementation of the superstation; and (3) a study of arrhythmic events in patients equipped with automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillators (AICDs) for the period January 1, 1993-August 31, 2000. Thirty-three of 39 Atlanta area EDs are participating in the ED studies, comprising over a million annual ED visits. In this paper, we present initial analyses of data from 18 of the 33 participating EDs. The preliminary data set includes 1,662,713 ED visits during the pre-superstation time period and 559,480 visits during the superstation time period. Visits for four case groupings--asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), dysrhythmia, and all cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) combined--have been assessed relative to daily air quality indices, controlling for long-term temporal trends and meteorologic variables, using general linear models, generalized estimating equations and generalized additive models. Single-pollutant models predicting case visitation rates using moving averages of 0-, 1-, and 2-day lagged air quality variables were run. For the pre-superstation period, PM10 (24-h), ozone (8-h), SO2 (1-h), NO2 (1-h) and CO (1-h) were studied. For the first 12 months of superstation operation, the following air quality variables of a priori interest were available: ozone (8-h), NO2 (1-h), SO2 (1-h), CO (1-h), and 24-h measurements of PM10, coarse PM (PM 2.5-10 microm), PM2.5, polar VOCs, 10-100 nm particulate count and surface area, and in the PM2.5 fraction: sulfates, acidity, water-soluble metals, organic matter (OM), and elemental carbon (EC). During the pre-superstation time period, statistically significant, positive associations were observed for adult asthma with ozone, and for COPD with ozone, NO2 and PM10. During the superstation time period, the following statistically significant, positive associations were observed: dysrhythmia with CO, coarse PM, and PM2.5 EC; and all CVDs with CO, PM2.5 EC and PM2.5 OM. While covariation of many of the air quality indices limits the informativeness of this analysis, the study provides one of the first assessments of PM components in relation to ED visits.

Air quality and pediatric emergency room visits for asthma in Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Pediatric emergency room visits for asthma were studied in relation to air quality indices in a spatio-temporal investigation of approximately 130,000 visits (approximately 6,000 for asthma) to the major emergency care centers in Atlanta, Georgia, during the summers of 1993-1995. Generalized estimating equations, logistic regression, and Bayesian models were fitted to the data. In logistic regression models comparing estimated exposures of asthma cases with those of the nonasthma patients, controlling for temporal and demographic covariates and using residential zip code to link patients to spatially resolved ozone levels, the estimated relative risk per 20 parts per billion (ppb) increase in the maximum 8-hour ozone level was 1.04 (p < 0.05). The estimated relative risk for particulate matter less than or equal to 10 microm in aerodynamic diameter (PM10) was 1.04 per 15 microg/m3 (p < 0.05). Exposure-response trends (p < 0.01) were observed for ozone (>100 ppb vs. <50 ppb: odds ratio = 1.23, p = 0.003) and PM10 (>60 microg/m3 vs. <20 microg/m3: odds ratio = 1.26, p = 0.004). In models with ozone and PM10, both terms became nonsignificant because of collinearity of the variables (r= 0.75). The other analytical approaches yielded consistent findings. This study supports accumulating evidence regarding the relation of air pollution to childhood asthma exacerbation.

Temporal and spatial distributions of ozone in Atlanta: regulatory and epidemiologic implications

Relationships between ambient levels of selected air pollutants and pediatric asthma exacerbation in Atlanta were studied retrospectively. As a part of this study, temporal and spatial distributions of ambient ozone concentrations in the 20-county. Atlanta metropolitan area during the summers of 1993, 1994, and 1995 were assessed. A universal kriging procedure was used for spatial interpolation of aerometric monitoring station data. In this paper, the temporal and spatial distributions of ozone are described, and regulatory and epidemiologic implications are discussed. For the study period, the Atlanta ozone nonattainment area based on the 1-h, exceedance-based standard of 0.12 ppm is estimated to expand--from 56% of the Atlanta MSA by area and 71% by population to 88% by area and 96% by population--under the new 8-h, concentration-based standard of 0.08 ppm. Regarding asthma exacerbation, a 4% increase in pediatric asthma rate per 20-ppb increase in ambient ozone concentration was observed (p-value = 0.001), with ambient ozone level representing a general indicator of air quality due to its correlations with other pollutants. The use of spatial ozone estimates in the epidemiologic analysis demonstrates the need for control of demographic covariates in spatiotemporal assessments of associations of ambient air pollutant concentrations with health outcome.

Bacterial mutagenicity of pyrolysis tars produced from chloro-organic fuels

Droplets of toluene and three chlorinated organics, ortho-dichlorobenzene, 1,2-dichloroethane, and trichloroethylene, were pyrolyzed in pure nitrogen. The composition and bacterial mutagenicity of the product tars were measured. The presence of organic chlorine was found to affect both pyrolysis product tar composition and total tar mutagenicity. Pyrolysis in the absence of chlorine produced tars whose bacterial mutagenicity was found to be largely due to the presence of cyclopenta[cd]pyrene, fluoranthene, and benzo[a]pyrene. Small amounts of chlorine in the fuel (i.e., Cl/H molar ratios of less than 0.3) enhanced the formation of highly condensed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (including cyclopenta[cd]pyrene) and increased tar mutagenicity. Larger amounts of organic chlorine (Cl/H ratios of between 0.3 and 0.6) resulted in significant yields of mono- and dichlorinated aromatics and higher levels of tar mutagenicity, which could not be accounted for by the presence of mutagens produced by pyrolysis in the absence of chlorine. Furthermore, unlike tars containing little or no chlorine, tars containing aryl chlorine were more mutagenic in the absence of added enzymes (intended to mimic in vivo mammalian metabolism) than in their presence. We hypothesize that at least one of the chlorinated aromatic products is strongly mutagenic. Two specific conditions that gave notably different results were a) the low-temperature (i.e., below 1400 K) pyrolysis of ortho-dichlorobenzene, which produced tri- and tetrachlorinated biphenyls almost exclusively; and b) the chlorine-rich pyrolysis of trichloroethylene, during which mostly perchloroaromatics were formed. Neither of these tars was found to mutate bacteria.