Qualitatively and quantitatively we have demonstrated that airborne polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations in the air surrounding New Bedford Harbor (NBH) are due to PCB emissions from the water. We measured airborne PCBs at 18 locations near NBH in 2015, ranging from 0.4 to 38 ng m-3, with a very strong Aroclor 1242/1016 signal that is most pronounced closest to the harbor and reproducible over three sampling rounds. Using US EPA water PCB data from 2015 and local meteorology, we predicted gas-phase fluxes of PCBs from 160 to 1200 µg m-2 d-1. The fluxes are among the highest reported in North America. Fluxes were used as emissions for AERMOD, a widely applied US EPA atmospheric dispersion model, to predict airborne PCB concentrations. The AERMOD predictions agreed within a factor of 2 of the field measurements. PCB emission from NBH (110 kg a-1, average 2015) is the largest reported source of airborne PCBs from natural waters in North America, and the source of high airborne PCBs in locations close to NBH. It is likely that NBH has been an important source of airborne PCBs since it was contaminated with Aroclors over sixty years ago.

Continuous release of PCBs from New Bedford Harbor results in elevated concentrations in the surrounding air

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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