Chlorinated Paraffins in Global Air: First Results from the GAPS and GAPS-Megacities Networks

This study presents the first global data set of measured chlorinated paraffins (CPs), including short-chain (SCCPs), medium-chain (MCCPs), and long-chain chlorinated paraffins (LCCPs) in ambient air, derived from a single coordinated sampling network, i.e., the Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling (GAPS) network, using a passive sampling approach. Concentrations exhibited pronounced regional disparities, with the combined levels in two megacities─Lagos, Nigeria (512,000 pg/m3) and Beijing, China (258,000 pg/m3) exceeding by more than 1.5-fold the combined total levels observed across the rest of the world (∼459,000 pg/m3). Evidence of long-range atmospheric transport was observed at remote sites in western Canada (Little Fox Lake and Whistler), influenced by trans-Pacific air trajectories during the sampling period. These findings underscore the substantial global heterogeneity in the spatial distribution of CPs and the heavily disproportionate contributions of a few regions. Notably, the major producers/emitters, such as China, had several years of delay in ratifying the SCCP listing under the Stockholm Convention (Annex A, elimination since 2017 for congeners with > 48% chlorine content), and some countries have yet to ratify. Without the timely implementation of regulatory measures in these jurisdictions, global concentrations are expected to remain stagnant or even increase if emissions persist at current levels. These results further suggest that substantial time lags are likely before measurable declines in SCCP concentrations, and potentially in recently listed MCCPs, are observed even in regions where control measures are already in place. Hence, this global data set serves as a baseline for future assessments of temporal and spatial trends.

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Publication Details

Journal
ACS ES&T Air
Published
2026-01-05
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestair.5c00350
Primary Topic
Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
Type
article
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article

Chlorinated Paraffins in Global Air: First Results from the GAPS and GAPS-Megacities Networks

Amandeep Saini, Omar Amador-Muñóz, Gavin Stevenson, Alan Yates et al.
ACS ES&T Air
Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
article

Chlorinated Paraffins in Global Air: First Results from the GAPS and GAPS-Megacities Networks

Amandeep Saini, Omar Amador-Muñóz, Gavin Stevenson, Alan Yates, Carlos A. Manzano, Urs Jans, Rose Alani, Narumol Jariyasopit, Seungbok Lee, Jacob Mastin, Sultan H. Alharbi, Shan Niu, Begoña Jiménez, Jasmin K. Schuster, Patricia B.C. Forbes, Anita Eng, Ji Eun Lee, Takahiro Nishino, Jerzy Falandysz, Suresh Ramasubramanya Iyer, Selene J. Kutarna, Néstor Y Rojas, Karina S. B. Miglioranza, Tom Harner, Meera Mohindra, Tamer Shoeib, Maria Tominaga, Eftade O. Gaga, Xinghua Qiu, Andrew J. Sweetman, Zhen Cheng
article en

Abstract

This study presents the first global data set of measured chlorinated paraffins (CPs), including short-chain (SCCPs), medium-chain (MCCPs), and long-chain chlorinated paraffins (LCCPs) in ambient air, derived from a single coordinated sampling network, i.e., the Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling (GAPS) network, using a passive sampling approach. Concentrations exhibited pronounced regional disparities, with the combined levels in two megacities─Lagos, Nigeria (512,000 pg/m3) and Beijing, China (258,000 pg/m3) exceeding by more than 1.5-fold the combined total levels observed across the rest of the world (∼459,000 pg/m3). Evidence of long-range atmospheric transport was observed at remote sites in western Canada (Little Fox Lake and Whistler), influenced by trans-Pacific air trajectories during the sampling period. These findings underscore the substantial global heterogeneity in the spatial distribution of CPs and the heavily disproportionate contributions of a few regions. Notably, the major producers/emitters, such as China, had several years of delay in ratifying the SCCP listing under the Stockholm Convention (Annex A, elimination since 2017 for congeners with > 48% chlorine content), and some countries have yet to ratify. Without the timely implementation of regulatory measures in these jurisdictions, global concentrations are expected to remain stagnant or even increase if emissions persist at current levels. These results further suggest that substantial time lags are likely before measurable declines in SCCP concentrations, and potentially in recently listed MCCPs, are observed even in regions where control measures are already in place. Hence, this global data set serves as a baseline for future assessments of temporal and spatial trends.

ACS ES&T AirVol. 3(2)
The Graduate Center, CUNY (US), City College of New York (US), National Measurement Institute (AU), Siriraj Hospital (TH), Environment and Climate Change Canada (CA), University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad (IN), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (AR), City University of New York (US), Universidade de São Paulo (BR), National University of Mar del Plata (AR), University of Lagos (NG), Peking University (CN), Ministry of Ecology and Environment (CN), Beijing Normal University (CN), Mahidol University (TH), King Saud University (SA), Universidad Nacional de Colombia (CO), Eskisehir Technical University (TR), Australian Hearing (AU), Institute of Plant Protection (CN), University of the Americas (CL), Public Health Dayton & Montgomery County (US), Medical University of Lodz (PL), Atmos (Czechia) (CZ), Metropolitan Research Institute (HU), Centro Científico Tecnológico - Tucumán (AR), Integrative Medicine Institute (US), India Habitat Centre (IN), Life Cycle Engineering (United States) (US), Instituto de Química Orgánica General (ES), Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KR), Lancaster University (GB), University of Pretoria (ZA), University of Chile (CL), American University in Cairo (EG), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (MX)
Openalex Percentile: Top 98%
Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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