{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T20:20:49Z","timestamp":1788294049393,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,20]],"date-time":"2026-06-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1781913600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"European Union-NextGenerationEU","award":["581-UNIOS-97"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["581-UNIOS-97"]}]},{"name":"Provincial Secretariat for Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina","award":["003795622-2025-09418"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["003795622-2025-09418"]}]},{"name":"Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia","award":["451-03-136\/2025-03\/200358"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["451-03-136\/2025-03\/200358"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JoX"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Atmospheric wet deposition represents a major pathway for the transfer of organic micropollutants into terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. This study investigates the occurrence and spatial distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalate esters (PAEs), and BTEX compounds in rainwater across Northern Serbia (Vojvodina region). Rainwater samples were collected during the 2025\u20132026 heating season at three locations: a petrochemical site in Kikinda, a traffic- and residentially influenced site in Sremska Mitrovica, and an urban background site in Sombor. Total concentrations showed pronounced spatial variability, with the highest \u03a3BTEX and \u03a3PAE levels recorded in Kikinda (\u2211BTEX = 2.818 \u03bcg L\u22111; \u2211PAE = 0.930 \u03bcg L\u22111). Diagnostic ratios identified a dominant petrogenic signature in Kikinda (LMW\/HMW &gt; 1), while pyrogenic sources prevailed in Sremska Mitrovica and Sombor ((Fla\/Fla + Pyr) &gt; 0.5). BTEX profiles across all sites were characterised by the absence of benzene and elevated toluene and xylene levels (B\/T \u2248 0; T\/X &gt; 1). Health risk assessment indicated an acceptable but non-negligible carcinogenic risk from PAHs, particularly for children in industrial areas. These findings highlight the role of precipitation as an efficient scavenger of organic pollutants and emphasise the need for integrated atmospheric\u2013hydrological monitoring frameworks in industrialised regions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jox16030116","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,22]],"date-time":"2026-06-22T09:49:55Z","timestamp":1782121795000},"page":"116","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Atmospheric Washout Dynamics of Organic Micropollutants: A Study of PAH, PAE, and BTEX Concentrations in Rainwater Across Northern Serbia"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Brankica","family":"Kartalovi\u0107","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"BioSense Institute, University of Novi Sad, Dr Zorana \u0110in\u0111i\u0107a 1, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rastko","family":"Tomanovi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositelja Obradovi\u0107a 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9404-5688","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kristina","family":"Habschied","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Food Technology Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Franje Kuha\u010da 18, 31000 Osijek, Croatia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4825-7089","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alma","family":"Miku\u0161ka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biology, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Cara Hadrijana 8\/A, 31000 Osijek, Croatia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mirta","family":"Sudari\u0107 Bogojevi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biology, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Cara Hadrijana 8\/A, 31000 Osijek, Croatia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6929-8958","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Antonije","family":"\u017duni\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovi\u0107a 8, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1059-7907","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dora","family":"Bjedov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biology, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Cara Hadrijana 8\/A, 31000 Osijek, Croatia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1596","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chemosphere.2007.08.010","article-title":"PAHs in Background Soils from Western Europe: Influence of Atmospheric Deposition and Soil Organic Matter","volume":"70","author":"Nam","year":"2008","journal-title":"Chemosphere"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4201","DOI":"10.1007\/s10653-021-00884-4","article-title":"Comprehensive Characterization of PAHs Profile in Serbian Soils for Conventional and Organic Production: Potential Sources and Risk Assessment","volume":"43","year":"2021","journal-title":"Environ. 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