Determination of organic pollutants and pollution sources in sequentially collected rainwater samples in Isparta Province

Abstract

Rainwater can accumulate organic airborne pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) due to atmospheric factors. There is an increasing interest in evaluating the temporal and spatial role of concentration changes of these pollutants and examining transport-based pollutants. This is of great importance especially for elements exposed to rapid environmental changes such as air and water. These residues can become a source of pollutants for virgin areas, surface waters, and soils through atmospheric deposition. Therefore, the determination of these compounds in rainwater samples can provide valuable information for the preliminary assessment of air quality in urban areas. In Isparta province of Türkiye, consecutive rainwater samples were collected and the concentrations of 50 OCPs and 16 PAHs were determined. Fluid management system-turbo trace parallel‒solid phase extraction (FMS‒TTP‒SPE) system, which is considered an environmentally friendly system by minimizing the use of solvents in sample preparation, was used. Back-orbit measurements (HYSPLIT) were used to investigate the atmospheric transport effect. In general, the quality of rainwater obtained from precipitation was determined to be good. The lowest concentration detected for benzo[k]fluoranthene was 0.99 µg L⁻¹, while the highest concentration for phenanthrene was 213 µg L⁻¹. In addition, 15 OCPs were detected, and the highest concentration was found in the pesticide chlordecone. These findings indicate that the detection of PAHs and OCPs in urban rainwater samples taken from a city with relatively good air quality may indicate significant atmospheric deposition of these pollutants.