Atmospheric concentrations of PCDD/Fs, PAHs, and metals in the vicinity of a cement plant in Istanbul

The levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and metals (Al, As, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Tl, V, and Zn) in particulate matter (PM10) were determined in ambient air at selected two sampling points located under the influence of a cement plant and a background/control sampling point in Buyukcekmece Istanbul. The samplings of PM10, PCDD/Fs, and PAHs were carried out simultaneously from September 2011 to November 2012 with EN 12384, EPATO-9A, and EPATO-13A, respectively. Quartz-fiber filters and glass adsorbent cartridge containing the polyurethane foam (PUF) are installed in air sampler for PAHs and PCDD/Fs sampling. The mean concentrations of PCDD/Fs in SP-1, SP-2, and SP-3 (control point) were 5.5 +/- 1.7 fg I-TEQ m(-3), 8.5 +/- 2.6 fg I-TEQ (International Toxic Equivalents) m(-3), and 0.2 +/- 0.1 fg I-TEQ m(-3), respectively. The higher PAHs and BaP concentrations during winter were probably due to increasing emissions from residential heating. Ca, Mg, Al, Fe, K, and Na showed elevated concentration values compared to other metals, with mean values of 10,401 +/- 1,050 and 3,934 +/- 397, 473 +/- 43 and 301 +/- 27, 1,478 +/- 177 and 1,465 +/- 176, 1,168 +/- 151 and 934 +/- 121, 700 +/- 69 and 1,380 +/- 137, and 1,181 +/- 94 and 434 +/- 35 ng m(-3) in the sampling and control points, respectively. The results of principal component analysis (PCA) and Pearson correlation analysis were consistent with those of literature for similar areas and showed a clear distinction between the sampling points and the source profiles. The ambient air concentrations of PCDD/Fs, PAHs, and metals in the vicinity of a cement plant were presented for the first time in Turkey through this work.