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CHLORDANES IN THE MID-ATLANTIC ATMOSPHERE: NEW JERSEY 1997-1999
Citation:
Offenberg, J, E. D. Nelson, C. L. Gigliotti, AND S. Eisenreich. CHLORDANES IN THE MID-ATLANTIC ATMOSPHERE: NEW JERSEY 1997-1999. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 38(13):3488-3497, (2004).
Impact/Purpose:
1. Present the findings of the literature review of the 33 classes of air toxic compounds to OAQPS. The compounds to be investigated under the present task will be based on recommendations by OAQPS.
2. Carry out laboratory investigations to fill in the gaps and reduce uncertainties in the gas phase chemical mechanisms of selected air toxic compounds.
3. Carry out computational chemistry investigations to fill in the gaps and reduce uncertainties in the gas phase chemical mechanisms of selected air toxic compounds compounds.
4. Based on the results of the laboratory and computational chemistry studies, develop improved gas phase chemical mechanisms for selected air toxic compounds that can be used to predict ambient concentrations.
Description:
To characterize the atmospheric dynamics and behavior of chlordane compounds in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, atmospheric concentrations were measured in 1997-1999 at three New Jersey locations as part of the New Jersey Atmospheric Deposition Network (NJADN) project. Observed concentrations of Sigma-chlordanes (cis-chlordane + trans-chlordane + cis-nonachlor + transnonachlor) are log-normally distributed, with a geometric mean concentration of 77.1 pg m-3 and range from 6.1 to 481 pg m-3. Gas-phase species comprised 83% (+/-23%) of the Sigma-chlordanes species across all samples at all location. Gas-phase Sigma-chlordane concentrations are inversely proportional to temperature, with higher concentrations during periods of warmer air temperatures. Observed concentrations do not correlate with wind direction or air mass history, which suggests that observed concentrations in the New Jersey atmosphere are due to volatilization from soils and surfaces on the regional scale.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency through its Office of Research and Development collaborated in the research described here. It is now being subjected to peer-review and has not been cleared for publication.