Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels in soils near wastewater treatment plants and landfills

Abstract

Recent studies have indicated that sewer systems and landfills contain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In this study, 18 surface soil samples were collected from five areas near wastewater treatment plants and landfills to investigate PCB levels. The observed PCB congener numbers and levels in the samples varied. The total PCB values were 5558 +/- 2856 pg g(-1) dry weight (dw) (Sigma 61PCB) for the marine outfall of the Buski Pretreatment Plant (Bursa Water and Sewerage Administration), 5386 +/- 1627 pg g(-1) dw (Sigma 45PCB) for the Hamitler Landfill Area, 3901 +/- 281 pg g(-1) dw (Sigma 35PCB) for the Western Wastewater Treatment Plant, 1824 +/- 448 pg g(-1) dw (Sigma 42PCB) for the Yesil Cevre Wastewater Treatment Plant, and 725 +/- 220 pg g(-1) dw (Sigma 17PCB) for the Eastern Wastewater Treatment Plant. These results show that the soils near the treatment plants were not completely contaminated by PCBs. At the sampling sites, with the biphenyls between 2 and 7 chlorine molecules and in particular, an abundance of homologue groups with 3, 4, and 5 chlorines were found. Moreover, dioxin-like PCBs (PCB#77, 81, 105, 114, 118, 123, and 126) were detected in all samples.