Spatial variation of short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins in ambient air across Australia

Atmospheric levels of chlorinated paraffins (CPs) at five remote, six rural and four urban sites in Australia were measured using XAD-2 passive air samplers (XAD-PAS). While long-chain CP (LCCP, C>17) levels were below method detection limits (MDLs), short-chain CPs (SCCPs, C10-13) and, for the first time, medium-chain CPs (MCCPs, C14-17) and CPs with a carbon chain length of nine (CP–C9) were found at many sites (88%, 81% and 88%, respectively) across the Australian continent, representing a range of environmental conditions. Applying preliminary sampling rates of the XAD-PAS for CPs, gaseous CP levels in Australian air were