Atmospheric PCBs were monitored around a site of
stored used capacitors in a suburb of Bangkok, Thailand,
from October 1991 to November 1992. Higher concentrations
(820 ng/m 3 on average) were observed near
by the storage area compared to those at 5 m leeward side
(570 ng/m 3) while the capacitors were in the storage.
After the capacitors were brought out from the storage,
the concentrations decreased by approximately half and
the compositions showed an enrichment of highly chlorinated
congeners. Mixing ratio of PCBs volatilized from
the capacitors and ambient soils on the surrounding
ground at the sampling places was estimated by using
PCB compositions as fingerprints. As a result, a quarter
of PCBs in the air near the storage was estimated to originate
from the capacitors and the remaining were from
ambient soils. This is the first study to suggest the fate of
PCBs dumped in a developing country in the tropical
environment. Copyright © 1996 Published by Elsevier
Science Ltd