Seasonal and spatial variation of polychlorinated naphthalenes and non-/mono-ortho-substituted polychlorinated biphenyls in arctic air

Archived extracts of weekly air samples collected at remote arctic monitoring stations at Alert and Tagish, Canada, and Dunai Island, Russia, in 1994-1995 were combined into 4-week composites and analyzed for levels and seasonal trends of polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) and non- and mono-ortho-substituted polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Mean annual SigmaPCN concentrations were 0.69, 0.82, and 0.38 pg/m(3) at Alert, Dunai, and Tagish, respectively. PCNs exhibited a seasonal trend at Alert and Dunai, with higher levels occurring during winter when air masses originating over Eurasia influence the high arctic and coincide with the haze period. Episodic, trans-Pacific transport impacted PCN concentrations at Tagish. A seasonal trend was not evident for the non-/mono-o-PCBs. The contrary PCN and non-/mono-o-PCB trends indicate that the sources of these two compound classes to arctic air differ, and that atmospheric transport from source regions has a greater influence on PCN levels than for non-/mono-o-PCBs. PCNs apparently originating from combustion sources contribute to levels in winter, as indicated by the presence of combustion marker congeners, but evaporative emissions from source regions are likely the dominant source. PCNs contributed 71 and 75% of dioxin toxic equivalents (TEQ) relative to the non-/mono-o-PCBs at Alert and Dunai and 30% at Tagish during the winter months, demonstrating the toxicological importance of PCNs as a compound class relative to PCBs.