Air concentrations and transport of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in mountains of southeast and southern Brazil

As part of the Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling (GAPS) Network, this study investigates the occurrence and transport of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in mountainous regions of southern and southeastern Brazil. Measurements of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the atmosphere were made along altitudinal gradients at the Serra dos Orgaos national park (Rio de Janeiro state) and Sao Joaquim national park (Santa Catarina state) over summer (December to March) and winter (June to August) periods in 2007 and 2008. PCB concentrations (sum of about 30 congeners) ranged from a few tens to a hundreds of picograms per cubic meter and were dominated by the tri- and tetra-PCB homologue groups. These concentrations are considerably higher than those reported in mountain studies from other parts of the world. The highest PCB concentrations were observed at the lower altitude sites (400 to 1 000 m a.s.l.) with a strong negative correlation between air concentration and altitude (Spearman test, p < 0.05). Higher PCB concentrations at the lower altitude sites are attributed to the greater influence from urban/suburban emission sources in Brazil that are associated with both historical and ongoing usage. Air trajectory analysis showed that southerly trajectories stemming from the Atlantic Ocean, with minimal time spent over land, are the main continental influences for both national parks. The total PBDE air concentrations were below the detection limit at all sites, which was on the order of about 20 pg m(-3). PUF disk passive samplers are demonstrated as a cost-effective tool for investigating the effectiveness of PCB regulation and management efforts in Brazil and for monitoring the POPs contamination of pristine and sensitive environments. (C) Author(s) 2012. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.