Polychlorinated biphenyls in the surrounding of an e-waste recycling facility in North-Rhine Westphalia: Levels in plants and dusts, spatial distribution, homologue pattern and source identification using the combination of plants and wind direction data.

During this study the occurrence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the surrounding of an e-waste recycling facility in North-Rhine Westphalia was analysed. PCB levels were analysed in curly kale, spruce needles, street dusts and dusts. Conspicuously high PCB concentrations in curly kale and spruce needles were found directly northwards of the industrial premises.

Different collector types for sampling deposition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons--comparison of measurement results and their uncertainty.

Different collector types, sample workup procedures and analysis methods to measure the deposition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were tested and compared. Whilst sample workup and analysis methods did not influence the results of PAH deposition measurements, using different collector types changed the measured deposition rates of PAH significantly. The results obtained with a funnel-bottle collector showed the highest deposition rates and a low measurement uncertainty.

Does airborne nickel exposure induce nickel sensitization?

Background And Objective: Nickel is one of the most prevalent causes of contact allergy in the general population. This study focuses on human exposure to airborne nickel and its potential to induce allergic sensitization.

Materials And Methods: The study group consisted of 309 children at school-starter age living in the West of Germany in the vicinity of two industrial sources and in a rural town without nearby point sources of nickel.

Comparison of methods for measuring atmospheric deposition of arsenic, cadmium, nickel and lead.

A comprehensive field intercomparison at four different types of European sites (two rural, one urban and one industrial) comparing three different collectors (wet only, bulk and Bergerhoff samplers) was conducted in the framework of the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) to create an European standard for the deposition of the four elements As, Cd, Ni and Pb. The purpose was to determine whether the proposed methods lead to results within the uncertainty required by the EU's daughter directive (70%). The main conclusion is that a different sampling strategy is needed for rural and industrial sites.

Influence of industrial sources on children's health--hot spot studies in North Rhine Westphalia, Germany.

The aim of this study was to evaluate exposure and health outcome of children living close to industrial sources. Exposure and health outcome was assessed in nearly 1000 children at school beginner age living in the vicinity of industrial sources of three different hot spots (Duisburg North, Duisburg South and Dortmund Hörde) and in a rural area of North Rhine Westphalia (NRW), Germany. The cross-sectional study was undertaken between March and May 2000.

Human biomonitoring of cadmium and lead exposure of child-mother pairs from Germany living in the vicinity of industrial sources (hot spot study NRW).

Cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) exposure of children and their mothers living in the vicinity of industrial sources (metal refining) was assessed by a cross-sectional study performed in 2000. Study areas were the highly industrialized city of Duisburg and a rural area of North Rhine Westphalia, Germany. Exposure to ambient air concentrations of Cd and Pb was calculated from a Lagrange dispersion model using data sets from ambient air quality measurements.

Determination of Cr(VI) in ambient airborne particulate matter by a species-preserving scrubber-sampling technique.

Airborne particulate matter has been sampled at a location close to a metallurgical plant in North-Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and first results on the chromium(VI) content in the collected dust are presented. A special procedure using a scrubber as sampling device was used to preserve Cr(VI) during the sampling procedure. The scrubber solution which consisted of 0.

Speciation of nickel in airborne particulate matter by means of sequential extraction in a micro flow system and determination by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

A four-stage sequential extraction procedure for the speciation of nickel has been applied to ambient aerosol samples. The determination of the soluble, sulfidic, metallic and oxidic Ni fractions in particulate matter was carried out by graphite furnace (electrothermal) atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). An EDTA solution, a mixture of diammonium citrate and hydrogen peroxide, and a KCuCl3 solution were used as leaching agents for the determination of the soluble, sulfidic and metallic species, respectively, and nitric acid was used for the determination of oxidic compounds after microwave digestion of particulate matter sampled on filters.

Determination of soluble and insoluble nickel compounds in airborne particulate matter by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

An extraction procedure for the determination of soluble and insoluble nickel and its compounds in ambient air dust was investigated employing a special device for the generation of test aerosols and using water-soluble NiCl2, partly water-soluble NiCO3 and water-insoluble NiO as model compounds. Additionally, results of the separation and determination of different nickel species down to some ng/m3 in ambient aerosols are discussed. The extraction was carried out with a solution containing 0.

Air pollution in the Rhine-Ruhr-area.

During the last decades air pollution could be effectively reduced in the Rhine Ruhr area, a highly industrialized region in western Germany. Today the concentrations of the most important pollutants are far lower than the limit values of the German technical instructions for air quality control (TA Luft, 1986). For some carcinogenic substances, however, German target values (State Committee for Emission Control, 1992.