Distant source areas contributing to persistent organic pollutants in air at a European background monitoring station

Time trends as well as possible source areas contributing to the POPs burden in air at the Kosetice background monitoring station, Czech Republic, were evaluated. The decreasing concentrations are in correspondence with the changes in European lindane legislation and the long-lasting restrictions on use of the other studied POPs in Europe. Back trajectory analysis has proven to be a useful tool for a better understanding of POPs concentration and trends at a particular monitoring site, as recommended by the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention in the Guidance on the Global Monitoring Plan for POPs.