Title: Monitoring with the use of passive samplers – a useful source of information for the mapping and modelling of urban atmosphere pollution

Authors: Magdalena Urbanowicz, Bozena Zabiegala, Monika Partyka, Jacek Namiesnik, Cezary Orlowski

Addresses: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Chemical Faculty, Gdansk University of Technology, 80-952 Gdansk, Poland. ' Department of Analytical Chemistry, Chemical Faculty, Gdansk University of Technology, 80-952 Gdansk, Poland. ' Department of Analytical Chemistry, Chemical Faculty, Gdansk University of Technology, 80-952 Gdansk, Poland. ' Department of Analytical Chemistry, Chemical Faculty, Gdansk University of Technology, 80-952 Gdansk, Poland. ' Department of Management and IT, Faculty of Management and Economics, Gdansk University of Technology, 80-952 Gdansk, Poland

Abstract: Due to human activities, increasing numbers of harmful substances are emitted into the atmosphere; they are recognised as potentially dangerous to living organisms, mainly because of their toxicity. Among others, compounds from the BTEX group, e.g. benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes, are considered as such toxic substances. They are present in the air above urbanised as well as rural areas due to their transport in the atmosphere. In order to estimate the human population exposure to the analytes from the BTEX group in the air, it is necessary to monitor the concentration levels of these compounds. The environmental data obtained can be processed further to allow modelling of pollution transport in the atmosphere, and pollution mapping. In this study, literature data on the monitoring of the BTEX concentrations by means of passive dosimetry, and mapping of air pollution from BTEX are presented.

Keywords: quality monitoring; benzene; ethylbenzene; passive dosimetry; pollution mapping; toluene; xylenes; passive samplers; pollution modelling; urban pollution; air pollution; air quality; atmospheric pollution.

DOI: 10.1504/IJENVH.2007.014635

International Journal of Environment and Health, 2007 Vol.1 No.2, pp.268 - 290

Published online: 21 Jul 2007 *

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