The use of leaves of Olea europaea L. as passive samplers for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Assessment of the quality of the air in Palermo

Interest in polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHS), both from an analytical and an environmental point of view, arises from the fact that although most of them have absolutely no practical use, they are widely diffused into the environment. Their widespread distribution means that every individue is unwittingly exposed to the action of this class of substances, in working environments, in the home and in the open air. In this paper, Oleae europaea leaves have been used as passive samplers. The correlation obtained clearly shows that the quantitative analysis of PAHs in the Olea leaves permits to evaluate the quality of air, in a determined geographic area, without the need of making long samplers with complicate strumentation. The results of the analysis on the leaves give mediate information on the period from put forth buds to the collection without influence of meteorological conditions at the time of sampler.