Benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylenes in ambient air and Pinus sylvestris L. needles: a comparative study between Belgium, Hungary and Latvia

Concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylenes (BTEX) in ambient air and in 1 yr old Pinus sylvestris pine needles were monitored along a busy road, petrol station and rural area of Belgium, Hungary and Latvia in a 1 yr period. To test P. sylvestris as a possible biomonitor for the BT...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Atmospheric environment (1994) 2001-12, Vol.35 (36), p.6327-6335
Main Authors: Keymeulen, Regine, Görgényi, Miklós, Héberger, Károly, Priksane, Anda, Van Langenhove, Herman
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air pollution
BTEX compounds
ethyl benzene
GC-MS
Non-parametric tests
Pine needle
Pinus sylvestris
Seasonal variation
Sorption sampling
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Summary:Concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylenes (BTEX) in ambient air and in 1 yr old Pinus sylvestris pine needles were monitored along a busy road, petrol station and rural area of Belgium, Hungary and Latvia in a 1 yr period. To test P. sylvestris as a possible biomonitor for the BTEX concentrations, samples were taken in the four seasons. As the distribution of data was not normal, the level of pollution on different sites and seasons was compared and evaluated by non-parametric tests. The measured air concentrations did not differ significantly from one season to another throughout the year. There were, however, differences between sampling places. The C 2-alkylbenzene and toluene concentrations in the needles were similar in the autumn/winter and spring/summer periods but a significant decrease in their concentration was observed in every place between winter and spring. This effect was less obvious for toluene.
ISSN:1352-2310
1873-2844
DOI:10.1016/S1352-2310(01)00424-1