Organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in air and soil across Azerbaijan.
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2012 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Environmental Science and Pollution Research |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-0944-7 |
| Field | Environment influence on health |
| Keywords | Passive air sampling; Contaminated soil; Fugacity; Volatilisation |
| Description | Concentrations of selected organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are reported in air and soil in across Azerbaijan. Polyurethane foam disc passive air samplers (PAS) were deployed during Oct.-Nov. 2008 with soil samples collected in July 2009. Levels of I 7PCB pound in ambient air were generally low and comparable to concentrations reported in Eastern Europe and similar to or lower than concentrations reported in urban air in the UK and other western countries. PCB concentrations in rural/background soil fell below the method detection limits at most sites, although concentrations were 0.209 and 0.071 ng I 7PCB pound g(-1) dry weight (dw) for two urban sites, again comparable to PCB levels in background sites in Europe. Levels of alpha-HCH, beta-HCH, gamma-HCH and p,p'-DDT/E were elevated in ambient air across Azerbaijan in comparison to PAS-derived concentrations reported elsewhere, with concentrations of alpha-HCH in air ranging from 0.085 to 2.699 ng m(-3) and p,p'-DDE, 0.037-2.290 ng m(-3). High concentrations of OCPs occurred at several of the urban sites and at sites in proximity to old pesticide storage facilities with concentrations in soil >0.1 mu g g(-1) dw for p,p'-DDE and p,p'-DDT at several sites. The ratio of p,p'-DDT/p,p'-DDE was close to unity in the soil at these sites, but elsewhere, the ratio was <1, indicating a weathered DDT pattern, which was also reflected in the air at all sites. A fugacity approach revealed the strong likelihood of net soil-to-air transfer at the majority of sites for all OCPs. The calculated annual fluxes or loading to the atmosphere from a rural/agricultural area were estimated to be on the order of a parts per thousand 10-100 kg year(-1) for the HCH isomers (including the beta -isomer) and p,p'-DDE. The high levels of OCPs in soils are of concern and warrant regular monitoring activities and the development of containment or mitigation strategies. |
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