Spatial distribution of the persistent organic pollutants across the Tibetan Plateau and its linkage with the climate systems: a 5-year air monitoring study

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) has been contaminated by persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including legacy organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) through atmospheric transport. The exact source regions, transport pathways and time trends of POPs to the TP are not wel...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: X. Wang, J. Ren, P. Gong, C. Wang, Y. Xue, T. Yao, R. Lohmann
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2016-06-01
Series:Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Online Access:https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/16/6901/2016/acp-16-6901-2016.pdf
_version_ 1818218652056420352
author X. Wang
X. Wang
J. Ren
P. Gong
P. Gong
C. Wang
Y. Xue
T. Yao
T. Yao
R. Lohmann
author_facet X. Wang
X. Wang
J. Ren
P. Gong
P. Gong
C. Wang
Y. Xue
T. Yao
T. Yao
R. Lohmann
author_sort X. Wang
collection DOAJ
description The Tibetan Plateau (TP) has been contaminated by persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including legacy organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) through atmospheric transport. The exact source regions, transport pathways and time trends of POPs to the TP are not well understood. Here polystyrene–divinylbenzene copolymer resin (XAD)-based passive air samplers (PASs) were deployed at 16 Tibetan background sites from 2007 to 2012 to gain further insight into spatial patterns and temporal trends of OCPs and PCBs. The southeastern TP was characterized by dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)-related chemicals delivered by Indian monsoon air masses. The northern and northwestern TP displayed the greatest absolute concentration and relative abundance of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in the atmosphere, caused by the westerly-driven European air masses. The interactions between the DDT polluted Indian monsoon air and the clean westerly winds formed a transition zone in central Tibet, where both DDT and HCB were the dominant chemicals. Based on 5 years of continuous sampling, our data indicated declining concentrations of HCB and hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) across the Tibetan region. Inter-annual trends of DDT class chemicals, however, showed less variation during this 5-year sampling period, which may be due to the ongoing usage of DDT in India. This paper demonstrates the possibility of using POP fingerprints to investigate the climate interactions and the validity of using PAS to derive inter-annual atmospheric POP time trends.
first_indexed 2024-12-12T07:27:10Z
format Article
id doaj.art-76dbb76a820e4db39c2e5bc46be8de2a
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1680-7316
1680-7324
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-12T07:27:10Z
publishDate 2016-06-01
publisher Copernicus Publications
record_format Article
series Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
spelling doaj.art-76dbb76a820e4db39c2e5bc46be8de2a2022-12-22T00:33:06ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242016-06-01166901691110.5194/acp-16-6901-2016Spatial distribution of the persistent organic pollutants across the Tibetan Plateau and its linkage with the climate systems: a 5-year air monitoring studyX. Wang0X. Wang1J. Ren2P. Gong3P. Gong4C. Wang5Y. Xue6T. Yao7T. Yao8R. Lohmann9Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100101, ChinaCAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing, 100101, ChinaKey Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100101, ChinaKey Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100101, ChinaCAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing, 100101, ChinaKey Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100101, ChinaKey Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100101, ChinaKey Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100101, ChinaCAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing, 100101, ChinaGraduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882-1197, USAThe Tibetan Plateau (TP) has been contaminated by persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including legacy organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) through atmospheric transport. The exact source regions, transport pathways and time trends of POPs to the TP are not well understood. Here polystyrene–divinylbenzene copolymer resin (XAD)-based passive air samplers (PASs) were deployed at 16 Tibetan background sites from 2007 to 2012 to gain further insight into spatial patterns and temporal trends of OCPs and PCBs. The southeastern TP was characterized by dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)-related chemicals delivered by Indian monsoon air masses. The northern and northwestern TP displayed the greatest absolute concentration and relative abundance of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in the atmosphere, caused by the westerly-driven European air masses. The interactions between the DDT polluted Indian monsoon air and the clean westerly winds formed a transition zone in central Tibet, where both DDT and HCB were the dominant chemicals. Based on 5 years of continuous sampling, our data indicated declining concentrations of HCB and hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) across the Tibetan region. Inter-annual trends of DDT class chemicals, however, showed less variation during this 5-year sampling period, which may be due to the ongoing usage of DDT in India. This paper demonstrates the possibility of using POP fingerprints to investigate the climate interactions and the validity of using PAS to derive inter-annual atmospheric POP time trends.https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/16/6901/2016/acp-16-6901-2016.pdf
spellingShingle X. Wang
X. Wang
J. Ren
P. Gong
P. Gong
C. Wang
Y. Xue
T. Yao
T. Yao
R. Lohmann
Spatial distribution of the persistent organic pollutants across the Tibetan Plateau and its linkage with the climate systems: a 5-year air monitoring study
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
title Spatial distribution of the persistent organic pollutants across the Tibetan Plateau and its linkage with the climate systems: a 5-year air monitoring study
title_full Spatial distribution of the persistent organic pollutants across the Tibetan Plateau and its linkage with the climate systems: a 5-year air monitoring study
title_fullStr Spatial distribution of the persistent organic pollutants across the Tibetan Plateau and its linkage with the climate systems: a 5-year air monitoring study
title_full_unstemmed Spatial distribution of the persistent organic pollutants across the Tibetan Plateau and its linkage with the climate systems: a 5-year air monitoring study
title_short Spatial distribution of the persistent organic pollutants across the Tibetan Plateau and its linkage with the climate systems: a 5-year air monitoring study
title_sort spatial distribution of the persistent organic pollutants across the tibetan plateau and its linkage with the climate systems a 5 year air monitoring study
url https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/16/6901/2016/acp-16-6901-2016.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT xwang spatialdistributionofthepersistentorganicpollutantsacrossthetibetanplateauanditslinkagewiththeclimatesystemsa5yearairmonitoringstudy
AT xwang spatialdistributionofthepersistentorganicpollutantsacrossthetibetanplateauanditslinkagewiththeclimatesystemsa5yearairmonitoringstudy
AT jren spatialdistributionofthepersistentorganicpollutantsacrossthetibetanplateauanditslinkagewiththeclimatesystemsa5yearairmonitoringstudy
AT pgong spatialdistributionofthepersistentorganicpollutantsacrossthetibetanplateauanditslinkagewiththeclimatesystemsa5yearairmonitoringstudy
AT pgong spatialdistributionofthepersistentorganicpollutantsacrossthetibetanplateauanditslinkagewiththeclimatesystemsa5yearairmonitoringstudy
AT cwang spatialdistributionofthepersistentorganicpollutantsacrossthetibetanplateauanditslinkagewiththeclimatesystemsa5yearairmonitoringstudy
AT yxue spatialdistributionofthepersistentorganicpollutantsacrossthetibetanplateauanditslinkagewiththeclimatesystemsa5yearairmonitoringstudy
AT tyao spatialdistributionofthepersistentorganicpollutantsacrossthetibetanplateauanditslinkagewiththeclimatesystemsa5yearairmonitoringstudy
AT tyao spatialdistributionofthepersistentorganicpollutantsacrossthetibetanplateauanditslinkagewiththeclimatesystemsa5yearairmonitoringstudy
AT rlohmann spatialdistributionofthepersistentorganicpollutantsacrossthetibetanplateauanditslinkagewiththeclimatesystemsa5yearairmonitoringstudy