title: Levels of PCDD/Fs, PCBs, and PCNs in soils and vegetation in an area with chemical and petrochemical industries.
abstract: The concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDFs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) have been determined in soil and wild chard samples collected in an area of Tarragona County (Catalonia, Spain) with an important number of chemical and petrochemical industries. Samples were also collected in urban/residential zones, as well as in presumably unpolluted sites. In soils, the levels of PCDD/Fs ranged from 0.16 ng I-TEQ/kg (unpolluted sampling points) to 2.65 ng I-TEQ/kg (industrial zone), and those of sigmaPCBs ranged from 657 to 12038 ng/ kg in these same zones. In turn, sigmaPCNs ranged from 32 (unpolluted sites) to 180 ng/kg (residential/urban sites). In contrast to soil concentrations, there were not significant differences among collection zones in the levels of PCDD/Fs, PCBs, and PCNs found in chard. However, PCB and PCN concentrations in chard samples collected at the unpolluted sampling points were higher than the respective concentrations in soils. In general terms, the current concentrations of the organic pollutants analyzed in this study are similar or lower than data from previous reports in other countries.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, Rovira i Virgili University, San Lorenzo 21, 43201 Reus, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schuhmacher
authors.forename: Marti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nadal
authors.forename: Jose Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Domingo
mesh_terms: D001572:Benzofurans / Q000032:analysis*; D002617:Chemical Industry; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000032:analysis*; D010578:Petroleum; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D009281:Naphthalenes; D010578:Petroleum; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls