Assessment of the emission of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs from an industrial area over a nearby town using a selective wind direction sampling device.

The development of new sampling devices or strategies to assess the concentration of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the environment has increased in the last two decades. In this study, a selective sampling device was used to evaluate the impact of potential local sources of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyl (dl-PCBs) emissions on the ambient air levels of such compounds in a town near an important industrial estate. Average concentrations of target compounds of up to 2.5 times for PCDD/Fs and 2 times for dl-PCBs were found to come from the industrial state confirming this area as the main responsible for the majority of such compounds reaching the town. This finding was supported by a PCDD/F and dl-PCB sample profile analysis and a principal component analysis (PCA), which established a direct link between the dioxin-like compounds found in the samples collected in the town and their source.

Ten years measuring PCDDs/PCDFs in ambient air in Catalonia (Spain).

This work summarizes the results of a ten year surveillance programme on PCDD/F in ambient air carried out in Catalonia (Spain). The study has been conducted by the Dioxin Laboratory of Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) in collaboration with the Environment Department of the Catalonian Government. 175 samples have been collected throughout Catalonia from 1994 to 2004. Different sampling locations classified as industrial, traffic, urban, suburban and rural sites have been monitored in order to find the most contaminated zones as well as the ones with expected background concentrations. The highest concentrations found in this study were determined at the industrial locations. Concentrations ranging from 5 to 1196 fg I-TEQ/m3, with a mean value of 140 fg I-TEQ/m3 and from 10 to 357 fg I-TEQ/m3, with a mean value of 72 fg I-TEQ/m3 were determined in industrial and traffic sampling points, respectively. In contrast, the lowest concentrations were found in rural stations, ranging from 5 to 45 fg I-TEQ/m3, with a mean value of 28 fg I-TEQ/m3. The PCDD/F concentration trend in Catalonian ambient air shown a clear drop of the median values occurred during the study sampling period. A decline of about 70% was observed from 1997-1998 to 2003-2004.

Surveillance programme on dioxin levels in soils in the Campo de Gibraltar (southwest Spain).

The results of an epidemiologic study undertaken by the Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) after commission by the Spanish Parliament indicated that Huelva and Cádiz were the zones in Andalusia with elevated risk of cancer. A 6% (women) and 10% (men) cancer mortality excess was observed with respect to the other six Andalusian provinces. Huelva and Cádiz are located in the south-western region of Spain, and are characterized by a strong industrial activity concentrated in several industrial sites. This situation led to two environmental surveys in these areas, in which the presence of dioxins was studied among other parameters. A PCDD/F assessment in soils of the Campo de Gibraltar (Cádiz) was carried out from June 2003 to June 2004. A total of 20 samples were collected in this study divided in two sampling campaigns. The first 10 samples were taken in locations affected by high industrial activity zones as well as in landfills (hotspots). The rest of the samples were collected in areas that were not expected to be contaminated, such as agricultural zones and forests. I-TEQ values of the samples ranged from 0.26 to 15.08 ng/kg dm. In all, 85% of the samples were below the limit of 5 ng I-TEQ/kg I-TEQ concentrations of three samples only surpassed this limit. These zones corresponded to a landfill, a quarry used for dumping chemical product containers and a sample from the sewage system of the industrial site. These sites were used neither for agricultural nor for public purposes.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin/polychlorinated dibenzofuran releases into the atmosphere from the use of secondary fuels in cement kilns during clinker formation.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of using waste materials, such as tires or meat meal, as a secondary fuel during clinker production on the polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD)/polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDF) emission levels to the atmosphere. For this purpose, three different cement plants in Spain were chosen to conduct the project in different sampling episodes. Different materials were separately evaluated in each plant: the first plant included the addition of meat meal in the kiln, the second plant used rejected tires, and the third plant used a mixture of both. In all cases, PCDD/F emission values remained below the limit established by the European Union Directive of 0.1 ng I-TEQ/Nm3, with values ranging from 0.001 to 0.042 ng I-TEQ/Nm3. The major contribution to total TEQ in the majority of cases came from 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran owing to its relatively higher levels and 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran because of its TEF of 0.5. The remaining 15 toxic congeners collectively provided only a minor contribution to TEQ. Furthermore, no marked differences were found compared with reported data obtained from Spanish cement kiln plants using conventional fuel. This fact indicates that the addition of used tires or meat meals had no effect on PCDD/PCDF emission levels.