Transport of toxic organic aerosol pollutants from Yugoslavia to Greece during the operation "Allied Force".

Between March 24 and June 10, 1999 a large number of chemicals were ejected into the atmosphere because of air strikes on chemical industries and oil storage facilities in former Yugoslavia. Chemicals released into the atmosphere under suitable meteorological conditions can be transported across borders to large distances. The releases may have contained not only conventional air pollutants but also semi-volatile organic compounds (SOCs) which include dioxins, furans, PCBs and PAHs, all known to be hazardous to health. A measuring programme was initiated at Democritus University Thrace, Greece to monitor the chemical characteristics of atmospheric aerosol during February, March and April 1999. Particulate matter (aerosol) was collected on filters and was analysed using high-resolution gas chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry for their content in SOCs. In the present work we show evidence of two events with three to twenty fold increased SOCs in the atmosphere of Northern Greece which were associated with air masses transported from the conflict area, following the destruction of chemical plants and oil storage facilities.