Concentrations of PCDD/PCDF in soil close to a secondary aluminum smelter.
Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDDs/Fs) were analyzed in samples of the emissions from a secondary aluminum smelter (ALS) and soil samples around the plant. The purpose was to estimate the impact of the emissions on the surrounding environment. PCDD/F soil concentrations were higher in the proximity of the plant, exceeding the limit adopted in Italy in soils for green areas and residential uses and the upper limit of several reference concentrations. The most contaminated sites were less than 500 m from the plant and the dioxin concentration with the distance from the ALS. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that emissions from the ALS were the source of PCDD/F contamination in the soils closest to the plant. Multivariate data analyses such as PCA are therefore useful to identify sources of emission causing contamination.
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Via La Masa 19, 20156 Milano, Italy. andrea.colombo@marionegri.it
Andrea
A
Colombo
Emilio
E
Benfenati
Simona Grazia
SG
Bugatti
Giorgio
G
Celeste
Marco
M
Lodi
Giuseppe
G
Rotella
Vincenzo
V
Senese
Roberto
R
Fanelli
D000535:Aluminum / Q000737:chemistry*; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000032:analysis*; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019652:Extraction and Processing Industry; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*
D001572:Benzofurans; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D000535:Aluminum