Air monitoring with passive samplers for dioxin-like persistent organic pollutants in developing countries (2017–2019)

As part of the global monitoring plan on persistent organic pollutants (GMP) under Stockholm Convention passive air samplers equipped with polyurethane foam disks (PUFs) were applied to monitor dioxin-like POPs. For sampling, toluene-pretreated PUFs exposed for three months during two years. Chemical analysis was performed in one accredited expert laboratory using internationally accepted methods; comparison, all results normalized PUF and 3 month exposure. Total TEQs, WHO2005-TEFs, lowest Pacific Islands countries (PAC) had similar mean values Africa (16.8 pg TEQ/PUF), Asia (16.9 Latin American Caribbean (GRULAC, 13.3 TEQ/PUF). Using median values, (13.4 TEQ/PUF) GRULAC (13.1 higher amounts than (6.1 PAC (2.1 The contribution PCDD/PCDF total TEQ 2-3-times from dl-PCB. Mono-ortho PCB did not play a role any samples. previous 40 samples 2010/2011 present 195 2017/2018 show statistical difference (p value = 0.3), only GRULAC, downward trend identified. It is recommended combining 4 ‘annual’