PMID- 18504992
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20080821
LR  - 20190715
IS  - 0013-936X (Print)
IS  - 0013-936X (Linking)
VI  - 42
IP  - 7
DP  - 2008 Apr 1
TI  - Altitudinal and seasonal variations of persistent organic pollutants in the 
      Bolivian Andes Mountains.
PG  - 2528-34
AB  - Polyurethane foam disk passive air samplers were deployed over four periods of 
      approximately 3 months along an altitudinal gradient (1820, 2600, 4650, and 5200 
      masl) on the east side of the Andean mountain range in Bolivia. The purpose of 
      the study was to assess the gas-phase concentration and the altitudinal and 
      seasonal trends of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls 
      (PCBs). Target compounds that were regularly detected included alpha- and 
      gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), endosulfans, and select PCB congeners. 
      Endosulfans and HCH concentrations increased with altitude. Enrichment factors 
      (concentration at the highest altitude divided by concentration at the lowest 
      altitude) ranged from 10 to 20 for HCHs and 3 to 10 for endosulfans. Air parcel 
      back trajectory analysis indicated that, in general, the high-altitude sites were 
      exposed to a larger airshed and hence susceptible to long-range atmospheric 
      transport from more distant regions. Seasonal differences were also observed with 
      SigmaHCH concentrations peaking during periods 2 and 3 (March-September 2005). 
      Airsheds (derived from the analysis of back trajectories) for periods 2 and 3 
      were less oriented along the Andes range (mountain air) with greater input from 
      coastal regions. Endosulfans peaked during periods 1 and 2 (February-June 2005) 
      and also exhibited the highest air concentrations of the target compounds, 
      reaching approximately 1500 pg/m3 at the two highest elevation sites. PCB air 
      concentrations at all sites were generally typical of global background values 
      (<12 pg/m3) and showed no increase with altitude. This is the first study to 
      measure air concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Bolivia and 
      one of only a few studies to investigate altitudinal gradients of POPs.
FAU - Estellano, Victor H
AU  - Estellano VH
AD  - Unidad de Calidad Ambiental, Instituto de Ecologia, Universidad Mayor de San 
      Andres, La Paz, Bolivia. victorhugoestellano@gmail.com
FAU - Pozo, Karla
AU  - Pozo K
FAU - Harner, Tom
AU  - Harner T
FAU - Franken, Margot
AU  - Franken M
FAU - Zaballa, Mauricio
AU  - Zaballa M
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PL  - United States
TA  - Environ Sci Technol
JT  - Environmental science & technology
JID - 0213155
RN  - 0 (Air Pollutants)
RN  - 0 (Organic Chemicals)
SB  - IM
MH  - Air Pollutants/*analysis
MH  - *Altitude
MH  - Bolivia
MH  - Organic Chemicals/*analysis
MH  - *Seasons
EDAT- 2008/05/29 09:00
MHDA- 2008/08/22 09:00
CRDT- 2008/05/29 09:00
PHST- 2008/05/29 09:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2008/08/22 09:00 [medline]
PHST- 2008/05/29 09:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1021/es702754m [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Environ Sci Technol. 2008 Apr 1;42(7):2528-34. doi: 10.1021/es702754m.