Identification of dioxin and dioxin-like polychlorbiphenyls in plant tissues and contaminated soils.

The environmental analysis laboratory (EAL) of the Taiwan environmental protection administration (TEPA) has been monitoring certain sites polluted in southern Taiwan by pentachlorophenol manufacture. The analytical results revealed peculiarities in the concentration distributions in plant tissues. There are no available data on dioxin and dioxin-like polychlorbiphenyls (DL-PCBs), which can be taken up from contaminated soils by plant tissues.

Soil dioxins levels at agriculture sites and natural preserve areas of Taiwan.

In this study, agriculture soil in Taiwan has been sampled and analyzed to determine the background level of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/DF) in the agricultural and nature preserve areas. Another objective is to investigate relationship between soil characteristics and air deposition in Taiwan. The results indicate that in nature preserve areas the topsoil shows an extraordinary profile of PCDD/DF compared to that in the air deposition.