Abstract
We have been investigated the atmospheric concentration of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Kitakyushu district, one of the industrial area in Japan.
Airborne particulate samples were collected on a glass fiber filters by use of a high-volume air sampler from November 1980 to March 1989 in the western part of the Kitakyushu district.
Three PAHs; Benzo [a] pyrene, Benzo [ghi] peryrene and Benzo [k] fluoranthene wereanalyzed by a reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatograph equipped wtih a spectrofluorometer. The results obtained are as follows;
(1) Yearly average concentrations of airborne particulate ranged from 77.9 to 54.5 pg/m3, and the high concentration was observed in the spring and the autumn and low in the summer. Through out the measurements, the highest concentration was 461.6μg/m3 on April 1988.
(2) The yearly mean of PAHs concentrations has decreased since 1985, and the benzo [a] pyrene concentration at present is less than 1μg/m3. Seasonal variations of PAHs concentrations show a tendency to rise in the winter and decline in the summer.
(3) A significant correlation was observed not only between the concentration of airborne particulate and these of PAHs, but also between the concentrations of the three PAHs.
