Abstract
This paper reports on a one-month sampling method using a low-volume air sampler (LV-1M) for long-term monitoring of dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in ambient air. The effectiveness of an activated carbon fiber felt(ACF) for sampling of PCBs, particularly low chlorinated PCBs, was examined. Atmospheric dioxins were quantitatively collected using a quartz fiber filter and two polyurethane foams (PUFs), but low chlorinated PCBs could not be accurately sampled using PUFs, particularly in the summer season. Accordingly, it was found the use of ACF is very effective for accurate monitoring. In addition, the quantitative results of the LV-1M method were comparable to those of the one-week sampling method using a high-volume air sampler, which is the official method for monitoring dioxins in ambient air. This finding indicates that it is possible to monitor atmosphere through the LV-1M method at a sufficiently precise level. Using this LV-1M method, ambient air was continuously monitored for 5-6 years in the city of Sapporo and Muroran. From the monitoring results, it was observed that although the amount of dioxins in Muroran is decreasing every year, the concentration of dioxins increases from autumn to winter and the concentration of PCBs increases in summer and decrease in winter as an effect of the change in air temperature.
