AMBIENT AIR CONCENTRATIONS OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS, FLUORIDE, SUSPENDED PARTICLES AND PARTICULATE CARBON IN AREAS NEAR ALUMINUM PRODUCTION PLANTS

Concentrations of airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), fluoride, suspended particles and particulate carbon were determined in four different residential areas near aluminum industries. Two of the areas were exposed to pollutants from primary aluminum production, the third area was close to a plant manufacturing electrodes for the aluminum industry while the fourth area received pollutants from the production of aluminum as well as electrodes. The sampling time was 24 h and the samples were collected every eighth day for about 16 months. The concentrations of PAH were high compared to levels in other polluted areas with industry and dense traffic. The average concentrations for benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) were above 10 ng m-3, which has been proposed as a guideline in some countries, at all sites. The highest air concentration of BaP measured in the present study was 160 ng m-3. At two of the stations the fluoride concentrations exceeded the 24-h national guideline of 25 .mu.g m-3, which has been set to protect human health. In a few cases the concentrations of suspended particles were high while the levels of carbon agreed with concentrations reported in urban and residential areas in U.S.A. The concentrations varied with time and the variation was caused mainly by the changes of the meteorological conditions. The frequency distributions were skew for all components and close to logarithmic normal. PAH were well correlated with fluoride, which is an aluminum production tracer, indicating that they are of the same origin. The aluminum industry did not seem to be the main source of particulate matter and carbon in air. Apportionment studies of the organic pollutants were carried out by cluster analysis, and the results showed that the aluminum production is the main source to the PAH in ambient air in these areas.