SMOKE CONCENTRATION AS AN INDICATOR OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS LEVELS IN THE AIR

The relationship of polycyclic aromatichydrocarbons (PAH) and smoke concentrationwas analysed at four different locations in Zagreb during theheating season. At two sampling sitessmoke pollution came primarily from domestic heating while theother two sites were under a directinfluence of traffic. At locations away from trafficcorrelations between smoke and PAH concentrationswere stochastically significant at 0.01 level. Takingbenzo-a-pyrene (BaP) as a PAH representative itwas shown that for these two locations the smoke/BaPrelationship can be presented with a singleregression line which can serve for rough assessment of BaPlevels in the air. The BaP concentrationof 10 ng/m3 – proposed by the German FederalEnvironmental Agency as “orientation < mark” (Lahman et al., 1984) – might be expected to occurat smoke levels ≥60 μg/m3,and above this level it is recommended to start measuringactual concentrations of PAH.