Baseline Studies of the Global Pollution VIII: The Complex Pattern of C₁–C₄ Organohalogens in Continental and Marine Background Air

Abstract

Adsorption sampling on Tenax GC combined with thermal desorption and cold trap injection allows the analysis of 2-500 liters of air as a single sample. The separation by high resolution gas chromatography and electron capture detection reveals a complex pattern of baseline pollution of C₁–C₄ organohalogens in clean continental and marine air. Air samples from the Azores and from the Madeira Archipelago— above and below the trade-wind inversion—give similar patterns of pollution.

Key Words:

• Global pollution
• air pollutants
• C₁–C₄ organohalogens
• capillary gas chromatography
• North Atlantic