AIR HYGIENE REPORT no. 10
Contents

IV ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

1 Introduction

Organic compounds include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), chlorinated hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and ethylene (C₂H₄). PAHs result from activities such as fossil fuel combustion and aluminium and coke production. Common PAHs in the published literature include fluoranthene and benzoperylene. Chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as benzohexachloride (BHC), are characterised by different pollution sources than PAHs and show a high mobility in the air. The emissions of PCBs such as tri- and tetrachlorobiphenyls have reduced in recent decades but in some countries the long-range transport of these chemicals to rural areas is still regarded an important problem. Ethylene is primarily emitted from the combustion or processing of petroleum and its products and can easily accumulate to levels injurious to plants.

Biomonitoring of organic compounds using plants is not as widely established as it is with metal or gaseous air pollutants. Biomonitoring of organic compounds has the advantage in that background concentrations can be assumed to be zero because persistent organic compounds are anthropogenic in origin. Most biomonitoring of organic compounds involves plants which have the ability to bioaccumulate these persistent trace pollutants. This may entail passive monitoring where natural growing vegetation is observed or active monitoring which detects the presence of air pollutants by placing test plants of known response and genotype into the study area.

Analysis of tissues is undertaken in most biomonitoring studies of organic compounds. It is important that any standard analytical procedures are adhered to. Contamination of samples during collection and preparation should be avoided and sample replication is recommended for reliable interpretation of results. References

Home