Open AccessPolychlorinated Biphenyls Concentration in Soil Samples from Pasture Areas
Author(s) -
Rowena Anamaria Cheleman,
Maria Tofană,
Roxana Popescu,
Liana Claudia Salanţă,
Delia Mihaela Truta
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
bulletin of university of agricultural sciences and veterinary medicine cluj-napoca. agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1843-5386
pISSN - 1843-5246
DOI - 10.15835/buasvmcn-agr:6553
Subject(s) - environmental chemistry , contamination , environmental science , pollutant , soil test , persistent organic pollutant , chemistry , soil water , soil science , ecology , biology , organic chemistry
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) banned under the Stockholm Convention. Because soil represents an important reservoir for PCBs in the terrestrial environment it is important to monitor the levels of the contaminants deposited to the surface soil, especially in the case of sensitive areas. Six indicator and 11 dioxin-like PCBs were analyzed in surface soil from two counties in Transylvania region, Romania. For the identification and quantification of these contaminants the method used followed the Romanian standard SR ISO 10382/2007. Concentrations of indicator PCBs in the two sites were 1.19 ng/g dw in soil samples from S1 and 4.05 ng/g dw in soil samples from S2. Regarding dioxin-like PCBs concentrations in the two sites the TEQ values were 0.03 and 0.01 ng TEQ/g dw. Levels of PCBs varied between and within sites. Concentrations of PCBs obtained in this study are comparable with other PCBs levels from Romanian regions.