Use of surrogated snow surface sampler to determine dry deposition of PAHs

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pahs) have recently begun to attract attentions due to their cancerogenic and mutagenic effects on genes and human health. some of related studies in literature focused on atmospheric concentrations while others investigated atmospheric dry and wet deposition fluxes. in literature,dry deposition studies used the results of coated and uncoated surrogated surfaces and reported an appropriate extraction and analysis steps. in such dry deposition studies,losses (infiltration,etc.) of snow samples are a fact and therefore,findings and results should contain uncertainties. in this study,a surrogated snow surface sampler was used to determine dry deposition of pahs in the city centre of erzurum. snow samples were collected in 8 distinct locations in erzurum city centre taken on trays and on surface without using trays. analysis results of the snow samples taken on surface as well as on trays were compared. the proportion of total filtrate pah compounds from surface versus from tray were found to be 53%,whereas this proportion was 68% for solid phase samples. though the infiltration or loss varied depending on different samples,average loss was 2 times more for liquid phase whereas it was 2.4 times more for solid phase samplings. © 2015,chemical society of pakistan. all rights reserved.