PMID- 12867169
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20031125
LR  - 20081121
IS  - 0045-6535 (Print)
IS  - 0045-6535 (Linking)
VI  - 52
IP  - 9
DP  - 2003 Sep
TI  - A preliminary investigation of persistent organic pollutants in ambient air in 
      Hong Kong.
PG  - 1397-403
AB  - Air samples were collected for characterisation of PCDD/Fs and other persistent 
      organic pollutants (POPs) such as aldrin, alpha-HCH, beta-HCH, delta-HCH, 
      gamma-HCH, o,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDT, o,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDE, o,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDD, dieldrin, 
      endrin, endosulfan I and II, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide and hexachlorobenzene 
      during the winter of 2000/2001 at the weather station of the Hong Kong 
      Observatory at Tai Mo Shan (TMS), which is the highest point (approximately 957 
      m) in Hong Kong, besides the routine monitoring of PCDD/Fs and 200 other toxic 
      air pollutants (TAPs) at two urban TAPs stations at Tsuen Wan and Central & 
      Western. Concentrations of the pollutants detected at TMS station were evaluated 
      and compared to those recorded at the urban stations. Though pesticides including 
      alpha-HCH, hexachlorobenzene, DDT, DDE, heptachlor, and endosulfan I were 
      detected, these pesticides were found at relatively low concentrations of about 
      0.02-0.23 ng/m3 and should not have any significant health effects. 
      Concentrations of some of the monitored POPs were found to be higher whilst most 
      of the monitored TAPs were at comparable levels to those measured at the urban 
      stations during the same period. According to the Stockholm Convention on POPs 
      (May 2001), the 12 chemicals labelled by the United Nations as the most dangerous 
      are: aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, mirex, toxaphene, 
      hexachlorobenzene, PCBs and dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDDs)/(PCDFs). 
      Given that there has not been any large scale use of organo-chlorine pesticides 
      recorded since the decline of local farming activities in recent years, the 
      results of the present study again show that pesticides and POPs such as 
      PCDDs/PCDFs are ubiquitous environmental contaminants present in the atmosphere 
      of Hong Kong. The findings also indicate that organo-chlorine pesticides and 
      PCDDs/PCDFs are among the most prevalent chlorinated semi-volatile pollutants 
      present in Hong Kong. Results obtained in the present study suggest that selected 
      pesticides may be used as tracers for transport of pollutants for regional air 
      quality study.
FAU - Louie, Peter K K
AU  - Louie PK
AD  - Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department, 33/F, Revenue Tower, Wanchai 
      HKSAR, China. plouie@epd.gov.hk
FAU - Sin, Della Wai-mei
AU  - Sin DW
LA  - eng
PT  - Comparative Study
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - England
TA  - Chemosphere
JT  - Chemosphere
JID - 0320657
RN  - 0 (Air Pollutants)
RN  - 0 (Benzofurans)
RN  - 0 (Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated)
RN  - 0 (Insecticides)
SB  - IM
MH  - Air Pollutants/*analysis
MH  - Benzofurans/analysis/chemistry
MH  - Environmental Monitoring
MH  - Hong Kong
MH  - Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated
MH  - Insecticides/analysis/chemistry
MH  - Meteorological Concepts
MH  - Seasons
EDAT- 2003/07/18 05:00
MHDA- 2003/12/03 05:00
CRDT- 2003/07/18 05:00
PHST- 2003/07/18 05:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2003/12/03 05:00 [medline]
PHST- 2003/07/18 05:00 [entrez]
AID - S0045-6535(03)00475-2 [pii]
AID - 10.1016/S0045-6535(03)00475-2 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Chemosphere. 2003 Sep;52(9):1397-403. doi: 10.1016/S0045-6535(03)00475-2.