THURSDAY JUNE 6 – 4 PM
Xiaohan Zhang
AMGC, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
ABSTRACT: PAHs are ubiquitous environmental pollutants generated primarily during incomplete combustions of organic materials (e.g., coal, oil, petrol, and wood). Emissions from anthropogenic activities predominate in the environment, and include residential heating, coal gasification and liquefying plants, carbon black as well as and motor vehicle exhaust. PAHs are present in ambient air in the gas phase and in the form of aerosol, and eventually reach aquatic systems where they adsorb to particles. PAHs are highly lipid soluble and thus readily accumulated in fat tissues and hence can be absorbed from the lung, gut and skin of mammals. Many PAHs have toxic, mutagenic and/or carcinogenic properties.
The major goal of this study is to develop and validate a novel long-term monitoring tool for measuring PAHs and residues in aquatic systems, specifically in urban and industrial wastewaters. The passive sampling combined with the use of CALUX for detection represented a promising approach for this purpose.