Comparison of Lichen, Conifer Needles, Passive Air Sampling Devices, and Snowpack as Passive Sampling Media to Measure Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds in Remote Atmospheres.
Document Type
Article
Journal/Book Title
Environmental Science and Technology
Publication Date
11-16-2011
Publisher
American Chemical Society
Volume
45
Issue
24
First Page
10354
Last Page
10361
Abstract
A wide range of semivolatile organic compounds (SOCs), including pesticides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), were measured in lichen, conifer needles, snowpack and XAD-based passive air sampling devices (PASDs) collected from 19 different U.S. national parks in order to compare the magnitude and mechanism of SOC accumulation in the different passive sampling media. Lichen accumulated the highest SOC concentrations, in part because of its long (and unknown) exposure period, whereas PASDs accumulated the lowest concentrations. However, only the PASD SOC concentrations can be used to calculate an average atmospheric gas-phase SOC concentration because the sampling rates are known and the media is uniform. Only the lichen and snowpack SOC accumulation profiles were statistically significantly correlated (r = 0.552, p-value 10 relative to needles and showed a greater accumulation of particle-phase PAHs.
Recommended Citation
Comparison of Lichen, Conifer Needles, Passive Air Sampling Devices, and Snowpack as Passive Sampling Media to Measure Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds in Remote Atmospheres. (2011) Schrlau, J., Geiser, L., Hageman, K.J., Landers, D., Simonich, S.L.M. Environmental Science and Technology 45, 10354-10361.
