Statistical analysis of atmospheric polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations at two urban locations
Descriptive
TitleInfo
(ID = T-1)
Title
Statistical analysis of atmospheric polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations at two urban locations
Identifier
(type = hdl)
http://hdl.rutgers.edu/1782.1/rucore10001600001.ETD.000056203
Language
LanguageTerm
(authority = ISO639-2);
(type = code)
eng
Genre
(authority = marcgt)
theses
Subject
(ID = SBJ-1);
(authority = RUETD)
Topic
Environmental Sciences
Subject
(ID = SBJ-2);
(authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Polychlorinated biphenyls--Environmental aspects--New Jersey--Camden--Case studies
Subject
(ID = SBJ-3);
(authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Polychlorinated biphenyls--Environmental aspects--Illinois--Chicago--Case studies
Subject
(ID = SBJ-4);
(authority = lcsh/lcnaf)
Geographic
Michigan, Lake--Environmental conditions
Subject
(ID = SBJ-5);
(authority = lcsh/lcnaf)
Geographic
Delaware River (N.Y.-Del. and N.J.)--Environmental conditions
Abstract
(type = abstract)
Atmospheric deposition of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is an important source of contamination to many U.S. water bodies, including the Delaware River and Lake Michigan. In this thesis, data on concentrations of PCBs in gas and aerosol phases in Chicago, IL and Camden, NJ were analyzed to identify factors that affect atmospheric PCB concentrations in urban areas. In order to investigate factors driving atmospheric PCB concentrations in Camden, NJ, concentrations of gas and particle-phase PCBs, meteorological parameters (temperature, barometric pressure, wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity, and solar radiation) and three criteria pollutants (ozone, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides) measured during 2000-2003 were analyzed by multi-parameter linear regression. The well-known temperature dependence of gas-phase PCBs was evident (average R2 = 0.62; p < 0.05). Gas phase PCB concentrations displayed weak but significant relationships with ozone, wind speed, relative humidity and solar radiation (p < 0.05). When paired with temperature, only wind speed, relative humidity and/or solar radiation produced significant relationships (p < 0.05). Solar radiation and humidity are themselves negatively correlated (p < 0.05), with relative humidity seeming to be the stronger of the two predictor variables. An advanced factor analysis method, Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF), was used to identify the dominant source types of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the atmosphere of Chicago, IL. PMF identified 6 factors. When compared to Aroclor compositions, only factor 1 (which comprised 23% of the PCB mass in the data set) was clearly identifiable as Aroclor 1242. Although PCB levels in most environmental compartments are declining gradually, with half lives on the order of 5 to 20 years, atmospheric PCB concentrations in Chicago displayed a marked increase starting around 2005. Results demonstrate this increase was due to factor 4 (which appears to be a mixture of Aroclors 1248/1254, R2 = 0.674), and factor 5, which resembled Aroclor 1254 (R2 = 0.731). Factors 4 and 5 comprised 24% and 16% of the total PCB mass in the data set, respectively. Factors 3 and 6 displayed an exponential decay with half lives of 3.0 and 5.8 years, respectively.
PhysicalDescription
Form
(authority = gmd)
electronic resource
Extent
viii, 109 p. : ill., maps
InternetMediaType
application/pdf
InternetMediaType
text/xml
Note
(type = degree)
M.S.
Note
(type = bibliography)
Includes bibliographical references
Note
(type = statement of responsibility)
by Dawn M. Cacia
Name
(ID = NAME-1);
(type = personal)
NamePart
(type = family)
Cacia
NamePart
(type = given)
Dawn M.
NamePart
(type = date)
1981-
Role
RoleTerm
(authority = RULIB)
author
Name
(ID = NAME-2);
(type = personal)
NamePart
(type = family)
Rodenburg
NamePart
(type = given)
Lisa A
Role
RoleTerm
(authority = RULIB)
chair
Affiliation
Advisory Committee
DisplayForm
Lisa A Rodenburg
Name
(ID = NAME-3);
(type = personal)
NamePart
(type = family)
Reinfelder
NamePart
(type = given)
John
Role
RoleTerm
(authority = RULIB)
internal member
Affiliation
Advisory Committee
DisplayForm
John Reinfelder
Name
(ID = NAME-4);
(type = personal)
NamePart
(type = family)
Strom
NamePart
(type = given)
Peter
Role
RoleTerm
(authority = RULIB)
internal member
Affiliation
Advisory Committee
Name
(ID = NAME-1);
(type = corporate)
NamePart
Rutgers University
Role
RoleTerm
(authority = RULIB)
degree grantor
Name
(ID = NAME-2);
(type = corporate)
NamePart
Graduate School - New Brunswick
Role
RoleTerm
(authority = RULIB)
school
OriginInfo
DateCreated
(qualifier = exact)
2010
DateOther
(qualifier = exact);
(type = degree)
2010-10
Place
PlaceTerm
(type = code)
xx
RelatedItem
(type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier
(type = RULIB)
ETD
RelatedItem
(type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Graduate School - New Brunswick Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier
(type = local)
rucore19991600001
Location
PhysicalLocation
(authority = marcorg);
(displayLabel = Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)
NjNbRU
Identifier
(type = doi)
doi:10.7282/T3PK0FXN
Genre
(authority = ExL-Esploro)
ETD graduate
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