| Title: | Biomonitoring of polychlorinated biphenyls in Bavaria/Germany-long-term observations and standardization |
| Author(s): | Weber R; Gonser S; Kohler J; Korner W; Herold C; Haag R; Krapp M; Peichl L; |
| Address: | "POPs Environmental Consulting, D-73527, Schwabisch Gmund, Germany. roland.weber10@web.de. Bavarian Environment Agency (LfU), Augsburg, Germany. POPs Environmental Consulting, D-73527, Schwabisch Gmund, Germany. RoHa DIOX Consult, Donzdorf, Germany" |
| Journal Title: | Environ Sci Pollut Res Int |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s11356-017-1108-6 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1614-7499 (Electronic) 0944-1344 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "In the 1980s, it was demonstrated that semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) accumulate in plant leaves. Plants are at the base of the food chain, and therefore a starting point for transfer of PCBs to animals and related human exposure. For two decades, the Environment Agency of the German federal state of Bavaria (LfU) has been operating long-term monitoring stations to measure the impact of organic air pollutants. Standardized ryegrass, curly kale, and spruce needles are used as bioindicators for the atmospheric entries of PCBs into vegetation. From the end of 1990s to 2009, there was a marked decline in the concentrations of indicator PCBs (i-PCBs) and a minor decline in PCB-TEQ levels. After 2009, the concentrations leveled off. In rural areas, the median concentrations of Sigma6 i-PCB in ryegrass and curly kale were about 3 and 4 mug/kg dm in 2000, and have been about 0.5 and 1 mug/kg dm since 2009, respectively. Concentrations in spruce needles fell from 0.9 to 0.4 mug/kg dm. Median PCB-TEQ concentrations in the bioindicator plants ranged from 0.05 to 0.23 ng/kg dm between 2002 and 2009 and from 0.15 to 0.05 ng/kg dm after 2009. Indicator PCB and PCB-TEQ concentrations were several times higher at the urban station in Munich than at the rural areas, reflecting the emissions from in-use PCB stocks in the building sector. The likely reason of the slower decrease of PCB-TEQ compared to i-PCBs is the formation of PCB-126 by dechlorination of industrial PCBs in open applications" |
| Keywords: | Air Pollutants/*analysis Animals Environmental Monitoring/*standards Germany Humans Paint Picea Polychlorinated Biphenyls/*analysis/chemistry Bioindicator plant Biomonitoring Buildings Dechlorination Dl-PCB Pcb Pcb-126 Sealant Time series; |
| Notes: | "MedlineWeber, Roland Gonser, Stefan Kohler, Jutta Korner, Wolfgang Herold, Christine Haag, Roland Krapp, Margit Peichl, Ludwig eng Germany 2017/12/31 Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2018 Jun; 25(17):16344-16354. doi: 10.1007/s11356-017-1108-6. Epub 2017 Dec 29" |
