A total of 20 toxic, carcinogenic, or mutagenic organic compounds were measured in the air and drinking water of 355 residents of Bayonne and Elizabeth. New Jersey, in the fall of 1981. The participants were selected from over 10,000 residents screened by a probability sampling technique to represent 128,000 persons (over the age of seven) who live in the two neighboring cities. Over one hμndred geographic areas throughout the two Cities were selected for monitoring. Each participant carried a personal sampler with him during his normal daily activities for two consecutive 12-h periods.
From an air pollution study in a medium-sized, seaside town in Central Greece (Volos) it wasfound that some common air pollutants (CO, NO, NOx, SO,, 0,), whose emissions are connectedto activities and conditions that reveal some characteristics of periodicity on a daily,weekly or yearly basis (e.g.: production activities, meteorological conditions), are monitoredin the atmosphere in concentrations that reflect this periodicity.
Until now, there is no widely accepted way to express any index for this purpose and takinginto account the large variety of possible pollutants. Things can be simplified is the aim is moreto compare different systems and strategies than to give an absolute value of quality.For the study of a pollutant source, the main important point for comparison is the pattern ofits production, whatever this pollutant is.