The Global Monitoring Plan of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) was established to generate long-term data necessary for evaluating the effectiveness of regulatory measures at a global scale. After 15 years of passive air monitoring (2003-2019), MONET is the first network to produce sufficient data for the analysis of continuous long-term temporal trends of POPs in air across the entire European continent. This study reports long-term concentrations of 20 POPs monitored at 32 sites in 27 European countries. As of January 1, 2019, the concentration ranges (pg/m3) were 1.1-52.8 (∑6PCB), 0.3-8.5 (∑12dl-PCB), 0.007-0.175 (∑17PCDD/F), 0.02-2.2 (∑9PBDE), 0.4-24.7 (BDE 209), 0.5-247 (∑6DDT), 1.7-818 (∑4HCH), 15.8-74.7 (HCB), and 5.9-21.5 (PeCB). Temporal trends indicate that concentrations of most POPs have declined significantly over the past 15 years, with median annual decreases ranging from -8.0 to -11.5% (halving times of 6-8 years) for ∑6PCB, ∑17PCDD/F, HCB, PeCB, and ∑9PBDE. Furthermore, no statistically significant differences were observed in either the trends or the concentrations of specific POPs at sites in Western Europe (WEOG) compared to sites in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), which suggests relatively uniform compound-specific distribution and removal at the continental scale.

• Keywords
• POPs, Stockholm Convention, air pollution, passive sampling, trend analysis,
• MeSH
• Air Pollutants * analysis   MeSH
• Environmental Pollutants * analysis   MeSH
• Environmental Monitoring MeSH
• Persistent Organic Pollutants MeSH
• Polychlorinated Biphenyls * analysis   MeSH
• Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins * MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Europe MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Air Pollutants * MeSH
• Environmental Pollutants * MeSH
• pentabromodiphenyl ether MeSH Browser
• Persistent Organic Pollutants MeSH
• Polychlorinated Biphenyls * MeSH
• Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins * MeSH

Although passive sampling has been previously used for the monitoring of volatile and semi-volatile contaminants in air, there are limited data on the use of this technique coupled with bioassays based on specific biological responses. Biological responses including those mediated by the aryl hydrocarbon (AhR) receptor as well as (anti-)estrogenicity and (anti-)androgenicity of samples from four Eastern European countries (Lithuania, Slovakia, Romania, and Serbia) were determined. To address the potential differences of specific toxic potencies of pollutant mixtures in ambient air in Eastern Europe, each country was characterized by a single more remote location that served to determine regional background conditions and one location in more urbanized and industrialized locations, which were defined as "impacted" areas. Besides samples from Lithuania, a significant gradient in concentrations of AhR-mediated potency from background and impacted localities was observed. Greatest potencies were measured in samples from impacted locations in Romania and Slovakia. Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that were quantified accounted for 3-33 % of the 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalents determined by use of the bioassay. No significant estrogenic potency was detected but anti-estrogenic effects were produced by air from two background locations (Lithuania, Slovakia) and three impacted locations (Lithuania, Romania, and Serbia). Anti-androgenic potency was observed in all samples. The greatest anti-estrogenic potency was observed at the background location in Slovakia. Anti-estrogenic and anti-androgenic potencies of studied air samples were probably associated with compounds that are not routinely monitored. The study documents suitability of passive air sampling for the assessment of specific toxic potencies of ambient air pollutants.

• MeSH
• Estrogens analysis   MeSH
• Air Pollutants analysis   MeSH
• Environmental Monitoring methods   MeSH
• Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins analysis   MeSH
• Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons analysis   MeSH
• Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon MeSH
• Air Pollution statistics & numerical data   MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Europe, Eastern MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Estrogens MeSH
• Air Pollutants MeSH
• Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins MeSH
• Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons MeSH
• Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon MeSH

Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) abundance, mass size distribution (MSD) and chemical composition are parameters relevant for human health effects. The MSD and phase state of semivolatile organic pollutants were determined at various polluted sites in addition to the PM composition and MSD. The distribution pattern of pollutants varied from side to side in correspondence to main particle sources and PM composition. Levels of particle-associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were 1-30 ng m(-3) (corresponding to 15-35 % of the total, i.e., gas and particulate phase concentrations), of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were 2-11 pg m(-3) (4-26 % of the total) and of DDT compounds were 2-12 pg m(-3) (4-23 % of the total). The PM associated amounts of other organochlorine pesticides were too low for quantification. The organics were preferentially found associated with particles <0.45 μm of aerodynamic equivalent diameter. The mass fractions associated with sub-micrometer particles (PM0.95) were 73-90 %, 34-71 % and 36-81 % for PAHs, PCBs and DDT compounds, respectively. The finest particles fraction had the highest aerosol surface concentration (6.3-29.7)×10(-6) cm(-1) (44-70 % of the surface concentration of all size fractions). The data set was used to test gas-particle partitioning models for semivolatile organics for the first time in terms of the organics' MSD and size-dependent PM composition. The results of this study prove that at the various sites particles with diverse size, matrix composition, amount of contaminants and toxicological effects occur. Legislative regulation based on gravimetric determination of PM mass can clearly be insufficient for assessment.

• MeSH
• Aerosols analysis   MeSH
• Atmosphere chemistry   MeSH
• Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated analysis   MeSH
• Inhalation Exposure analysis   MeSH
• Air Pollutants analysis   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Environmental Monitoring MeSH
• Pesticides analysis   MeSH
• Particulate Matter analysis   MeSH
• Polychlorinated Biphenyls analysis   MeSH
• Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons analysis   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Aerosols MeSH
• Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated MeSH
• Air Pollutants MeSH
• Pesticides MeSH
• Particulate Matter MeSH
• Polychlorinated Biphenyls MeSH
• Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons MeSH