Occurrence of chlorpyrifos in the atmosphere of the Araucanía Region in Chile using polyurethane foam-based passive air samplers

Little is known regarding the use and ambient levels of pesticides in Chilean agricultural regions. Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is one of the most used active ingredients in Chile and in the world. However, few investigations have been conducted to understand its environmental distribution and fate. In this study, PUF disk passive air samples were deployed during ∼one year in two areas, Angol (5 sites) and Villarrica (2 sites), in the Araucanía Region. The concentration in air of CPF ranged from ten to thousands of pg m−3 (∼20-14 600). The highest CPF concentrations were detected at the Angol sites (∼14 600 pg m3) during period 2 (August-December 2008). These results were higher by a factor of ∼10-15 than those detected in Villarica sites (∼2000 pg m3) in period 1 (April-July 2008). Seasonal CPF variations were observed, at both sites, within the sampling periods. Air back trajectory analyses showed that air masses from nearby agricultural zones contributed most of the CPF detected in Angol sites when the wind speed was low and at Villarrica when those sources were likely located north of the VMA site. These results provide initial data for CPF in the Chilean atmosphere and contribute new information to understanding distribution of CPF in Chilean environments.