Publication details
Persistent organic pollutants in soils and sediments from James Ross Island
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2008 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Environmental Pollution |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Soil contamination adn decontamination incl. pesticides |
| Keywords | James Ross Island; Antarctica; Soil; Sediment; Persistent organic pollutants; POPs; PCBs; OCPs; PAHs; Long range transport; Passive air sampler. |
| Description | Soil and sediment samples from the James Ross Island, Antarctica were analyzed for their PCB, OCP and PAH contents. Soil concentrations ranged between 0.51 and 1.82 ng g-1 for the sum of 7 indicator PCB congeners, between 0.49 and 1.34 ng/g for HCH congeners, between 0.51 and 3.68 ng/g for the sum of p,p-DDT, DDE, and DDD, and between 34.9 and 171 ng/g for the sum of 16 EPA PAHs. Sediment levels from 0.32 to 0.83 ng/g were found for PCBs, from 0.14 to 0.76 ng/g for HCHs, from 0.19 to 1.15 ng/g for DDTs, from 0.95 to 4 ng/g for HCB, from 0.21 to 1.08 ng/g for PeCB, and from 1.4 to 205 ng/g for PAHs. A prevalence of low-mass polyaromatic hydrocarbons, less chlorinated congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls, and more volatile chemicals as hexachlorobenzene indicate that the long range atmospheric transport from populated areas of Africa, South America, and Australia is the most probable source of contamination of the solid environmental matrices in the James Ross Island. To confirm the atmospheric origin of the soil and sediment contamination, the samples of the ambient air were collected using passive air samplers. |
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