Estimation of Bio-Monitoring for PCBs Concentration in Air Using Plant

The concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in air and plant were measured every other week at Hankyong University located in Ansung, Kyoung-ki province from July to November of 1999. The predicted PCB concentrations in air derived from measured Morus allba were compared with ambient measurement data. This was necessary to test the possibility of using the two equations incorporating Riederer's and Bacci's bioconcentration factors (BCFs) based on the octanol-air partition coefficient (Ksub/oa/) to predict the air-plant equilibrium of PCBs. Ratios of calculated to measured PCB concentrations in air were 2.4 (1.24~4.36), 2.7 (0.17~7.96) using Riederer's and Bacci's equations, respectively Regression analysis between PCBs calculated by Riederer's equation and PCBs directly measured in air, showed correlation ($R^2$= 0.90). However, slope of regression between calculated and directly measured PCB concentrations was above 1. The results thus suggest that calculated PCBs were overestimated comparing with direct measurements. Bio-monitoring using Morus allba may have possibilities in predicting PCBs concentration in air with a further extension of air-plant equilibrium research.

식물을 이용한 대기 중 PCBs의 농도 예측 평가