Relationships between organic matter, black carbon and persistent organic pollutants in European background soils: Implications for sources and environmental fate.
Black carbon (BC) and total organic carbon (TOC) contents of UK and Norwegian background soils were determined and their relationships with persistent organic pollutants (HCB, PAHs, PCBs, co-planar PCBs, PBDEs and PCDD/Fs) investigated by correlation and regression analyses, to assess their roles in influencing compound partitioning/retention in soils. The 52 soils used were high in TOC (range 54-460 mg/g (mean 256)), while BC only constituted 0.24-1.8% (0.88%) of the TOC. TOC was strongly correlated (p<0.001) with HCB, PCBs, co-PCBs and PBDEs, but less so with PCDD/Fs (p<0.05) and PAHs. TOC explained variability in soil content, as follows: HCB, 80%; PCBs, 44%; co-PCBs, 40%; PBDEs, 27%. BC also gave statistically significant correlations with PBDEs (p<0.001), co-PCBs (p<0.01) and PCBs, HCB, PCDD/F (p<0.05); TOC and BC were correlated with each other (p<0.01). Inferences are made about possible combustion-derived sources, atmospheric transport and air-surface exchange processes for these compounds.
Nam
Jae Jak
JJ
Centre for Chemicals Management and Environmental Science Department, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA14YQ, United Kingdom.
Gustafsson
Orjan
O
Kurt-Karakus
Perihan
P
Breivik
Knut
K
Steinnes
Eiliv
E
Jones
Kevin C
KC
D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis*; D004463:Ecology / Q000379:methods; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000032:analysis; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation; D006812:Humic Substances / Q000032:analysis*; D009664:Norway; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D006113:United Kingdom
D006812:Humic Substances; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D002244:Carbon