TY - JOUR

T1 - Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and furan (PCDD/F) uptake by pasture.

AU - Thomas, Gareth

AU - Jones, Joanne

AU - Jones, Kevin

PY - 2002/5

Y1 - 2002/5

N2 - Uptake of airborne PCDD/Fs by a native pasture sward was studied. The concentrations of the less chlorinated PCDD/Fs (up to and including the Cl5DD/Fs) in pasture harvested on the same day after 2, 6, and 12 weeks exposure were the same, implying that air-pasture steadystate was reached within 2 weeks of exposure. The implications of these observations for the relative importance of input (atmospheric deposition, soil re-suspension) and loss (photolysis, degradation, volatilisation, cuticular shedding and growth dilution) processes are discussed and inferences made about the controlling factors. The concentrations of the more chlorinated PCDD/Fs were more variable. We infer that they were influenced by wash-off of particle- and surface-bound chemical. Up to 4 % of the Cl2-4DD/F and 4 -13 % of the Cl5-8DD/F loading on the pasture was estimated to have been supplied by adhering soil particles, with the remainder supplied by atmospheric deposition. Between 0.04 and 0.66 kg of each homologue group (excluding Cl2DFs) is estimated to be transferred annually from the atmosphere to pasture in the UK.

AB - Uptake of airborne PCDD/Fs by a native pasture sward was studied. The concentrations of the less chlorinated PCDD/Fs (up to and including the Cl5DD/Fs) in pasture harvested on the same day after 2, 6, and 12 weeks exposure were the same, implying that air-pasture steadystate was reached within 2 weeks of exposure. The implications of these observations for the relative importance of input (atmospheric deposition, soil re-suspension) and loss (photolysis, degradation, volatilisation, cuticular shedding and growth dilution) processes are discussed and inferences made about the controlling factors. The concentrations of the more chlorinated PCDD/Fs were more variable. We infer that they were influenced by wash-off of particle- and surface-bound chemical. Up to 4 % of the Cl2-4DD/F and 4 -13 % of the Cl5-8DD/F loading on the pasture was estimated to have been supplied by adhering soil particles, with the remainder supplied by atmospheric deposition. Between 0.04 and 0.66 kg of each homologue group (excluding Cl2DFs) is estimated to be transferred annually from the atmosphere to pasture in the UK.

U2 - 10.1021/es010176g

DO - 10.1021/es010176g

M3 - Journal article

VL - 36

SP - 2372

EP - 2378

JO - Environmental Science and Technology

JF - Environmental Science and Technology

SN - 0013-936X

IS - 11

ER -