Persistent organic pollutants in the Tibetan surface soil: spatial distribution, air-soil exchange and implications for global cycling.
There are limited data on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the soils of the Tibetan Plateau. This paper presents data from a survey of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in 40 background surface (0-5 cm) soils of the Tibetan Plateau. Soil concentrations (pg/g, dw) ranged as follows: DDTs, 13-7700; HCHs, 64-847; HCB, 24-564; sum of 15 PCBs, 75-1021; and sum of 9 PBDEs, below detection limit -27. Soil DDT, HCB, PCB and PBDE concentrations were strongly influenced by soil organic carbon content. HCH concentrations were clearly associated with the proximity to source regions in south Asia. The air-soil equilibrium status of POPs suggested the Tibetan soils may be partial "secondary sources" of HCB, low molecular weight PCBs and HCHs and will likely continue to be "sinks" for the less volatile DDE and DDT.
Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China. wangxp@itpcas.ac.cn
Xiao-ping
XP
Wang
Jiu-jiang
JJ
Sheng
Ping
P
Gong
Yong-gang
YG
Xue
Tan-dong
TD
Yao
Kevin C
KC
Jones
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D055669:Ecological and Environmental Phenomena; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D018609:Tibet
D000393:Air Pollutants; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D010575:Pesticides; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls