PCDD/Fs and PCBs in soils: A study of case in the city of Belo Horizonte-MG

Abstract

Dioxins (polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)) are substances that represent a global concern due to their ubiquitous presence and toxicity. Industrial processes and other human activities as well as uncontrollable accidents are the main sources that release these pollutants into the environment. The presence of these compounds has been reported in soils from Europe, Asia and Africa, but currently, there is not much information of dioxin levels in soils from Brazil. This paper presents the levels of PCDD/Fs, dioxin-like PCBs (dl-PCBs) and non-dioxin-like PCBs (ndl-PCBs) in soils collected from urban areas of Belo Horizonte city, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Total toxic equivalents (TEQ) observed ranged from 0.43 to 4.54 ng TEQ kg-1 d.m. The highest concentration TEQ found was 2.68 (± 1.63) ng TEQ kg-1 d.m. The low total TEQ achieved suggests that the locations evaluated are not being affected by possible sources of dioxin emissions, although Belo Horizonte is surrounded by a number of them.