Objective: This study was carried out to determine the depositional characteristics of pine needles, pine tree bark, moss, and soil, which are used as a passive air sampler (PAS) of atmospheric polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Methods: All four media were sampled from the same site. PCB concentrations were analyzed by GC/MSD, and the lipid contents were measured using the gravimetric method. Results: The total PCB concentration (IUPAC No. 28, 52, 101, 138, 153, 180) was the highest in soil (227.97 pg/g dry), followed by pine needles (71.36 pg/g dry), pine tree bark (44.58 pg/g dry), then moss (21.91 pg/g dry). Pine needles contained the highest lipid contents (21.31 mg/g dry), whereas soil (10.01 mg/g dry), pine tree bark (4.85 mg/g dry), and moss (1.92 mg/g dry) contained less. The concentration of lower-chlorinated PCBs was relatively high in pine needles, pine tree bark and moss, but not in soil. The PCB concentrations were proportional to their lipid contents in pine needles, pine tree bark and moss, but a different trend was revealed in soil. Conclusions: The PCBs concentrations in the media were affected by various factors including atmospheric PCB concentrations, lipid contents, and depositional pathways. However, each of these factors had a varying influence depending on the type of medium.
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