Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the air near gas field Molve.

Small-volume air samples (approximately 7 m3 per 24 h) of airborne PM10 particle fraction were collected on quartz fibre filters at two measuring sites in the vicinity of the gas field Molve in April and July 2006. It took five to seven days for each sample to collect and one month to collect five to seven samples. Mass concentrations of PM10 fractions were determined by gravimetry while PAHs were analysed using a HPLC with a fluorescent detector. The analysis included fluoranthene (Flu), pyrene (Pyr), benzo(a)anthracene (BaA), chrysene (Cry), benzo(b)fluoranthene (BbF), benzo(k)fluoranthene (BkF), benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), benzo(ghi)perylene (BghiP) and indene(1,2,3-cd)pyrene (Ind). Average concentrations of all PAHs in April at site A were slightly higher than at site B while in July they were lower and similar on both sites. Average BaP concentration measured at site A in April was 0.156 ng m(-3) and at site B 0.129 ng m(-3), while July BaP averages were 0.022 ng m(-3) at both sites. In both months, the mass concentration of BaP was lower than the limit value (1 ng m(-3)) and well below the tolerant value (2 ng m(-3)) set by a Croatian regulation of 2005. This suggests that the air near gas field Molve was of acceptable quality in respect to BaP at the time of the measurement.