Application of Land Use Regression to Identify Sources and Assess Spatial Variation in Urban SVOC Concentrations

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Authors

MELYMUK Lisa Emily ROBSON M. WILHELM P.A. DIAMOND M.L.

Year of publication 2013
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Science

Citation
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/es3043609
Field Air pollution and control
Keywords POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS; POLYBROMINATED DIPHENYL ETHERS; HISTORICAL EMISSION INVENTORY; GREAT-LAKES BASIN; POLYCHLORINATED-BIPHENYLS; PCB CONGENERS; METROPOLITAN-AREA; SEASONAL TRENDS; MUSK FRAGRANCES; UNITED-STATES
Description Land use regression (LUR), a geographic information system (GIS), and measured air concentrations were used to identify potential sources of semivolatile organic contaminants (SVOCs) within an urban/suburban region, using Toronto, Canada as a case study. Regression results suggested that air concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polycyclic musks (PCMs) were correlated with sources at a scale of <5 km. LUR was able to explain 73-90% of the variability in PCBs and PCMs, and 36-89% of PBDE and PAH variability, suggesting that the latter have more spatially complex emission sources, particularly for the lowest and highest molecular weight compounds/congeners. LUR suggested that similar to 75% of the PCB air concentration variability was related to the distribution of PCBs in use/storage/building sealants, similar to 60% of PBDE variability was related to building volume, similar to 55% of the PAH variability was related to the distribution of transportation infrastructure, and similar to 65% of the PCM variability was related to population density. Parameters such as population density and household income were successfully used as surrogates to infer sources and air concentrations of SVOCs in Toronto. This is the first application of LUR methods to explain SVOC concentrations.
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