PCBs In Soil Research Articles

Source characteristics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls in surface soils of Shenyang, China: A comparison of two receptor models combined with Monte Carlo simulation

The surface soil concentrations of 16 PAHs and 15 PCBs were simultaneously determined by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in 21 locations of urban areas of Shenyang. The average concentrations of PAHs and PCBs were 26.40 ± 34.68 mg/kg and 48.03 ± 27.47 μg/kg, respectively. Factor analysis with nonnegative constraints (FA-NNC) and absolute principal component score with multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR) model were used to explore and evaluate the sources of PAHs and PCBs in the study area. The results of FA-NNC showed that PAHs in soils were mainly from traffic emissions (49.64%), coal combustion (46.88%) and petrogenic source (3.49%). The PCBs in soils were mainly from commercial and high temperature combustion mixed sources (20.3%), combustion and industry emission mixed sources (21.1%), electrical equipment sources (22.2%) and traffic emission sources (36.4%). The results of APCS-MLR were consistent with those of FA-NNC. The uncertainty of FA-NNC and APCS-MLR model was analyzed by Monte Carlo simulation method. The results revealed the reliability of the two receptor models on source apportionment. The estimated carcinogenic risks indicated that the risks of PAHs in soils exceed the acceptable range (10−6-10−4), while the risks of PCBs were below the acceptable risk level of 10−6.

Distribution, Sources, and Risk of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in the Largest Irrigation Area in the Yellow River Basin

To investigate the contamination of PCBs in agricultural soils irrigated chronically with polluted water and the distribution and migration of PCBs under long-term irrigation, 100 farmland soil profile samples were collected in the Yellow River irrigation area in Inner Mongolia, China, to determine PCB content. Cluster analysis was used to identify possible sources of PCBs products, and the USEPA Health Risk Evaluation Model assessed the health risks posed by PCBs to humans. The results showed that the detection rates of eight monomers in the different soil layers of each sample site ranged from 5% to 90%, and the concentration ranged from not detected to 87.71 ng·g−1. The PCBs content showed a vertical distribution rule of accumulation in the shallow layer, sudden decrease in the middle layer. Low-chlorinated PCBs were dominant in each soil profile. Source identification indicated that PCB pollution in the study area originated mainly from the Aroclor1242, Aroclor1248, Aroclor1016, Aroclor1232, and Aroclor1221 industrial products and domestic transformer oil. Finally, a health risk assessment demonstrated that child and adult groups in study area were exposed to negligible carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks.

Occurrence and spatial distribution of individual polychlorinated biphenyl congeners in residential soils from East Chicago, southwest Lake Michigan

We report individual polychlorinated biphenyl congeners and the sum of all congeners (ΣPCB) in residential soils of East Chicago, Indiana. ΣPCB in soils ranged from 20 to 1700 ng/g dry weight (DW), with a geometric mean of 120 ng/g DW. These values are significantly higher than other locations, but similar or lower to locations nearby well-known PCB contamination sites. No PCB spatial distribution pattern was observed. PCB concentrations increase with total organic carbon in the soils and proximity to Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal (IHSC), where sediments are contaminated with PCBs. Most samples are similar in their PCB distribution and Aroclor 1254 yielded the highest similarity to all the samples. A fifth of the samples highly resemble other PCB profiles such as EPA background and Cedar Rapids Iowa soils, and volatilization from Lake Michigan, whereas volatilization from IHSC could not explain the PCBs found in soils. IHSC was expected to be the main source of PCBs in the nearby soils. It is possible that soils are impacted by variety of known and unknown sources, including volatilization from Lake Michigan, resulting in a regional PCB signal. Although PCB concentrations are higher than other locations, samples were below the current US EPA non-cancer residential soil level remediation goal for dioxin TEQ.

Evaluation and Distribution of Selected Polychlorinated Biphenyl Congeners and Triclosan in Soil, Sediment and Surface Water System: A Case Study of Ojutu River, Osun State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the presence of seven-selected polychlorinated biphenyls and triclosan in the Ojutu River, Osun State Nigeria. The soil, sediment and surface water at five different sampling sites were investigated following the standard analytical procedure. The maximum concentration of targeted PCBs in soil, sediment and water are; 1.02 µg/g, 0.6490 µg/g and 0.02981 µg/mL respectively. While triclosan has 0.0562 ng/g, 0.0457 ng/g and 0.001070 ng/mL in sediment, soil and water samples respectively. The concentrations of some of the selected PCB congeners and triclosan were significant in sediment and soil samples across the sites while the majority analytes showed no significant differences in water samples across the sites. The parameters investigated were found within the WHO maximum permissible limit therefore the water could be considered less susceptible to these pollutants. Other contaminants such as personal care products, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals and micro-pollutants as well as pollution levels associated with microbial load are worthy of investigation to know the actual state of the river for the safety of aquatic lives and the health of humans who depends on this river.

PCDD/Fs and Dioxin-like PCBs in Chicken Eggs and Soils in Dong Nai Province, Southern Vietnam: Impacts of Raising Methods and Nearby Pollution Sources.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs) were examined in chicken egg and soil samples collected from Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam. PCDD/F and DL-PCB levels in egg samples ranged from 5.74 to 1320 (median 350) and from 120 to 51,200 (median 1470) pg/g lipid weight (lw), respectively. Toxic equivalents to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TEQ) in egg samples ranged from 0.817 to 245 (median 10.8) pg TEQ/g lw. Higher dioxin levels were found in free-range eggs than non-free-range ones. We found significant correlation between TEQ levels in paired egg and soil samples collected from the Bien Hoa Airbase and some communities adjacent to industrial areas (Spearman's ρ = 0.671; p < 0.05), suggesting the co-occurrence of legacy and current dioxin emission sources in these areas.

Concentrations and uptake pathways of polychlorinated biphenyls from soil to grass

Field coupled samples in soil and grass were collected to determine the concentrations and identify the uptake pathways of PCBs into the grass at a pasture from Scotland, UK. Concentrations of indicator PCBs (∑7PCBs) in soils ranged from 0.20 to 0.88 ng g−1 dw (dry weight), with a mean of 0.33 ng g−1 dw, and in grass ranged from 0.20 to 2.14 ng g−1 dw, with a mean of 0.48 ng g−1 dw. The comprehensive factors of low concentrations and detection rate (PCB28: 18.8%; PCB52: 37.5%) of PCBs in soil, as well as continuously declined air concentrations of PCBs in the UK since the 1990s suggested that the secondary emission from the soil is becoming the supplied source of PCBs to air and grass. The significant correlations between bioconcentration factor (BCF) values and the log KOW (R = −0.850, p < 0.05) and log KOA (R = −0.860, p < 0.05) of indicator PCB congeners were found in the present study, indicating that these two parameters are likely to affect the bioaccumulation and uptake of grass. A generic one-compartment model was employed to identify uptake pathways of grass and evaluate the uptake amounts for PCBs. This suggested that the most important pathway for uptake of PCBs by grass was at the aerial part, and the difference of PCBs concentrations between leaves and roots was about four orders of magnitude. Removing and risk transfer of PCBs or other organic pollutants by grass need to be investigated and assessed further.

Soil burden by persistent organochlorine compounds in the vicinity of a coal-fired power plant in Croatia: a comparison study with an urban-industrialized area.

The impact of a coal-fired Plomin Power Plant (PPP) in Croatia on PCB soil burden was examined by comparing the occurrence, levels, and profile of PCBs in soil from the PPP with the values determined in urban-industrialized soil (Varaždin, Croatia). Soil burden by organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were also investigated at both locations. Topsoil samples were collected at five distances (100-800m) along a downwind pollution gradient from the PPP and across the city. The total content of PCBs in 100-m soil was nearly 20-fold the levels found in 800-m soil, which pointed to the PPP as a local source of soil contamination. The PPP soils were dominated by indicator PCB congeners, particularly hexa-homologs. A different profile and mass fraction range of PCBs in soils from PPP and Varaždin area indicated the different sources of contamination. Levels of total PCBs in PPP soils (0.25-19.07μgkg-1) were higher than PCB levels determined in soils from Varaždin (0.29-5.52μgkg-1), partially as a result of higher OC content in PPP soils. PPP soil burden by PCBs corresponded to a lower end of PCB level ranges reported for cities with high population and heavy industry. OCPs were detected at significantly higher levels in Varaždin soils than in PPP soils, with the highest contribution of the DDT-like compounds (DDX) detected in soils affected by river deposits. The p,p'-DDE/p,p'-DDT ratio in Varaždin soils indicated a fresh atmospheric input of p,p'-DDT. The PPP soil analysis detected a presence of only p,p'-DDE and HCB at levels corresponding to their global environmental presence.

PBDEs and PCBs in terrestrial ecosystems of the Victoria Land, Antarctica

The Victoria Land (East Antarctica) is characterized by the presence of lakes and ponds where rare water is found during the Summer months. These freshwater ecosystems are an important resource for migrating seabirds that use them and leave there their droppings and feathers, contributing to enrich the water with organic matter.Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are long-range transported to polar regions and their detection in the Antarctic ecosystems date back to the 1960s. Most studies have been related to POP concentrations in marine environment, and terrestrial ecosystems have been poorly investigated. This study reports the concentration of PBDEs (23 congeners) and PCBs (21 among non-, mono-, di-, and ortho congeners) in lake sediment, soil and vegetation mat (community of algae, cyanobacteria, bryophites) collected close to six lakes in the Victoria Land (74°31′S-74°97′S, 165°07′E-162°51′E): Edmonson Point 14 and 15A, Carezza, Enigma, Tarn Flat 20, Inexpressible Island 10B.The ∑PBDEs averaged 0.09–0.28 ng/g and BDEs 28, 47 and 154 were higher in mat and soils, while BDEs 183 and 47 in sediment samples. PCBs ranged <0.003–0.807 ng/g and congeners nos. 114, 138, and 187 were the most abundant. In addition, TEQs were derived for the non-and mono-ortho PCBs detected and values were very low in each matrix (0.010 pg/g in the soil, 0.012 pg/g in sediment and mat). The long-range atmospheric transport can be confirmed as the most important POP source in Antarctica, although the scientific stations and seabird colonies may be potential local sources and contribute to contaminant release.

Levels, temporal/spatial variations and sources of PAHs and PCBs in soil of a highly industrialized area

Soil can be accepted as environmental medium which indicating the level and spatial distribution of POPs coming from different air pollution sources. In this study, monthly soil samples were collected at 23 sites during one year for the investigation of PAHs and PCBs in Dilovasi region which is the district of Kocaeli and is considered to be the center of industry in Turkey. Both PAHs and PCBs concentrations displayed great variability. Σ15PAH concentrations were found between 49 and 10,512 μg/kg (in dry weight) (avg ± sd; 992 ± 1323 μg/kg), and Σ41PCB concentrations were found between 0.83 and 239 μg/kg (in dry weight) (avg ± sd; 18.8 ± 32.0 μg/kg). As sampling points were grouped according to their sectors, the average ∑15PAH concentrations were found to be 738 ± 444 μg/kg, 1017 ± 515 μg/kg and 1141 ± 835 μg/kg for suburban, urban and industrial areas, respectively, and the average ∑41PCB concentrations were found to be 3.95 ± 1.08 μg/kg, 10.02 ± 2.1 μg/kg and 32.75 ± 34.2 μg/kg for suburban, urban and industrial areas, respectively. According to the results of the PMF, it was observed that the traffic, domestic heating and industrial activities were the sources of the PAHs, industrial activities were the sources of the PCBs in the soil of Dilovasi. The average benzo(a)pyrene equivalent concentration of carcinogenic PAHs was found to be 472.2 ± 730.26 μg kg−1. Therefore, Dilovasi soil posed a potential risk to human health. On the other hand, calculated TEQ concentrations of soil samples were below the limit value according to the Canadian Soil Quality Standard.

Organochlorines in urban soils from Central India: probabilistic health hazard and risk implications to human population.

This study presents distribution of organochlorines (OCs) including HCH, DDT and PCBs in urban soils, and their environmental and human health risk. Forty-eight soil samples were extracted using ultrasonication, cleaned with modified silica gel chromatography and analyzed by GC-ECD. The observed concentrations of ∑HCH, ∑DDT and ∑PCBs in soils ranged between < 0.01-2.54, 1.30-27.41 and < 0.01-62.8µgkg-1, respectively, which were lower than the recommended soil quality guidelines. Human health risk was estimated following recommended guidelines. Lifetime average daily dose (LADD), non-cancer risk or hazard quotient (HQ) and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) for humans due to individual and total OCs were estimated and presented. Estimated LADD were lower than acceptable daily intake and reference dose. Human health risk estimates were lower than safe limit of non-cancer risk (HQ < 1.0) and the acceptable distribution range of ILCR (10-6-10-4). Therefore, this study concluded that present levels of OCs (HCH, DDT and PCBs) in studied soils were low, and subsequently posed low health risk to human population in the study area.

Application and validation of isotope dilution method (IDM) for predicting bioavailability of hydrophobic organic contaminants in soil.

Risk assessment of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) using the total chemical concentration following exhaustive extraction may overestimate the actual availability of HOCs to non-target organisms. Existing methods for estimating HOC bioavailability in soil have various operational limitations. In this study, we explored the application of isotope dilution method (IDM) to quantify the accessible fraction (E) of DDTs and PCBs in both historically-contaminated and freshly-spiked soils. After addition of 13C or deuterated analogues to a soil sample, the phase distribution of isotope-labeled and native chemicals reached an apparent equilibrium within 48 h of mixing. The derived E values in the three soils ranged from 0.19 to 0.82, depending on the soil properties and also the contact time of HOCs (i.e., aging). The isotope dilution method consistently predicted greater accumulation into earthworm (Eisenia fetida) than that by polyethylene (PE) or solid phase microextraction (SPME) sampler, likely because desorption in the gut enhanced bioavailability of soil-borne HOCs. A highly significant linear regression (R2 = 0.91) was found between IDM and 24-h Tenax desorption, with a slope statistically identical to 1. The IDM-derived accessible concentration (Ce) was further shown to accurately predict tissue residues in earthworm exposed in the same soils. Given the relatively short duration and simple steps, IDM has the potential to be readily adopted for measuring HOC bioaccessibility in soil and for improving risk assessment and evaluation of remediation efficiency.

Zero-valent iron particles for PCB degradation and an evaluation of their effects on bacteria, plants, and soil organisms.

Two types of nano-scale zero-valent iron (nZVI-B prepared by borohydride reduction and nZVI-T produced by thermal reduction of iron oxide nanoparticles in H2) and a micro-scale ZVI (mZVI) were compared for PCB degradation efficiency in water and soil. In addition, the ecotoxicity of nZVI-B and nZVI-T particles in treated water and soil was evaluated on bacteria, plants, earthworms, and ostracods. All types of nZVI and mZVI were highly efficient in degradation of PCBs in water, but had little degradation effect on PCBs in soil. Although nZVI-B had a significant negative impact on the organisms tested, treatment with nZVI-T showed no negative effect, probably due to surface passivation through controlled oxidation of the nanoparticles.

Altitude Distributions and Source Analysis of OCPs and PCBs in Surface Soils of Changbai Mountain, Northeast China

Organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in surface soils of Changbai Mountain, Northeastern China, have been quantified by gas chromatography with electron capture detector and the altitude distributions and possible pollution sources were analyzed. The concentrations of ∑HCHs, ∑DDTs and ∑7PCBs were in the range of 3.09-25.6, 0.96-19.4 and 7.32-26.1ng/g dw, respectively. The concentration of α-HCH, β-HCH, p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDE, PCB 101, 138, 153, and 180 showed increasing trends with altitude. ∑7PCBs in surface soils of Changbai Mountain were significantly higher than that in Chinese background areas. The concentration of lower volatile PCB isomers showed positive correlation with altitude. These pollutants may originate from the adjacent industrial and agricultural areas via atmospheric transport and cold-trapping effect through wet precipitation. Additional, DDTs may cause a certain potential ecological risks on birds and soil organisms and the usage of lindane in the adjacent areas cannot be excluded in Changbai Mountain.

Efficiency Evaluation of Extraction Methods for Analysis of OCPs and PCBs in Soils of Varying TOC

Organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls are toxic, carcinogenic, and have a high potential for bioaccumulation. Due to their stability, they are still considered an environmental problem even though the use of most of them has been phased out several decades ago. Soil is a matrix which can retain these contaminants to a great extent. This ability is often associated with the total organic carbon content (TOC). In order to judge the pollution status of soil and to make monitoring data more easily comparable a simple, yet robust extraction method is needed. Agitation solid-liquid-extraction is well suited for this purpose. However, the influence of TOC on the analyte recovery has to be known. For the presented study, 12 organochlorine pesticides and 7 polychlorinated biphenyls were spiked into four model soils with organic carbon contents between 1.6% - 13.3%. The matrices were extracted using solid-liquid extraction between 45 minutes and 16 hours. For comparison, all soils were also extracted using pressurised liquid extraction and Soxhlet extraction. After clean-up the extracts were measured using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) system. Statistical analysis of the results implied that the TOC content of the soils did not have significant influence on the extraction efficiency. A longer solid-liquid extraction time did not necessarily increase analyte recovery: Extraction for one hour resulted in 88% recovery while 16 hour extraction led to 89%. Thus, the efficiency of all the methods was comparable for all model soils. Additional investigations regarding GC liner performance highlighted the need for isotopically labelled standards during the analysis of thermolabile pesticides.

Multimedia environmental analysis of PCBs fate and transport mechanism through a case study of transformer oil leakage

Transformer oil leakage having large quantity of PCBs is one of the most deplorable incidents resulting in huge negative impacts on the environment. In this paper, two different models, i.e. CHEMCAN and the hydrocarbon spill screening models, were applied to the case study adapted from a real case of PCBs in transformer oil spill in Montreal. The oil migration was examined in three dimensions including site-specific data, soil characteristics and hydrogeological properties. This study aims to investigate the fate, transport and transformation rates of PCB in the soil, the unsaturated and the saturated zones. The proposed modelling concept helps to define the processes to be used in characterization of soil and subsurface environment as a receptor of transformer oil spill. This study includes the simulation techniques for assessing the effect of PCBs on groundwater and soil. Results from multimedia environmental model and HSSM model verify with each other, and both show that 92.7 % of PCBs were found in soil as compared to groundwater. Considering decay and sorption processes at spill location, concentration of PCBs in soil was >50 mg/kg. This study can serve as a basis for further analysis and assist in selection of remediation technique.

DNA Damage in Vicia faba by Exposure to Agricultural Soils from Tlaxcala, Mexico.

The aim of this research was to quantify some POPs, such as p,p' DDT, p,p' DDE, and PCBs in agricultural soils of Tlaxcala, Mexico and evaluate their capacity for eliciting DNA damage, using Vicia faba as bioindicator. The values of ΣDDTs and ΣPCBs ranged from 8-24 to 118-26,983µg/kg, respectively. The samples T1 (HQ=9.3) and T2 (HQ=53.9) showed concentrations of ΣPCBs higher than Canadian guidelines (SQGE=500µg/kg). The genotoxicity testing produced percentages of DNA fragmentation higher than negative control and statistically significant (p<0.05), both in agricultural soils and organic extracts. The soils T2, T3, N4, and N5 showed a DICA from 2.6 to 3.1 times, statistically higher (p<0.05) than negative control. In general, the agricultural soils have greater genotoxic capacity than the organic extracts, suggesting a potential risk to biota that depends upon this ecosystem.

Electrokinetic delivery of persulfate to remediate PCBs polluted soils: Effect of different activation methods.

Persulfate-based in-situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) for the remediation of organic polluted soils has gained much interest in last decade. However, the transportation of persulfate in low-permeability soil is very low, which limits its efficiency in degrading soil pollutants. Additionally, the oxidation-reduction process of persulfate with organic contaminants takes place slowly, while, the reaction will be greatly accelerated by the production of more powerful radicals once it is activated. Electrokinetic remediation (EK) is a good way for transporting persulfate in low-permeability soil. In this study, different activation methods, using zero-valent iron, citric acid chelated Fe(2+), iron electrode, alkaline pH and peroxide, were evaluated to enhance the activity of persulfate delivered by EK. All the activators and the persulfate were added in the anolyte. The results indicated that zero-valent iron, alkaline, and peroxide enhanced the transportation of persulfate at the first stage of EK test, and the longest delivery distance reached sections S4 or S5 (near the cathode) on the 6th day. The addition of activators accelerated decomposition of persulfate, which resulted in the decreasing soil pH. The mass of persulfate delivered into the soil declined with the continuous decomposition of persulfate by activation. The removal efficiency of PCBs in soil followed the order of alkaline activation > peroxide activation > citric acid chelated Fe(2+) activation > zero-valent iron activation > without activation > iron electrode activation, and the values were 40.5%, 35.6%, 34.1%, 32.4%, 30.8% and 30.5%, respectively. The activation effect was highly dependent on the ratio of activator and persulfate.

Isolation of the PCB-degrading bacteria Mesorhizobium sp. ZY1 and its combined remediation with Astragalus sinicus L. for contaminated soil

ABSTRACTA bacterial strain ZY1 capable of utilizing PCBs as its carbon source was isolated from the root nodules of Chinese milk vetch (Astragalus sinicus L.). The strain was identified as Mesorhizobium sp. according to its physiological-biochemical properties and the analysis of its 16S rRNA gene sequence. When the initial OD600 was 0.15, 62.7% of 15 mg L−1 3,3′,4,4′-TCB in a liquid culture was degraded by Mesorhizobium sp. ZY1 within 10 days. Mesorhizobium sp. ZY1 also greatly increased the biotransformation of soil PCBs. Pot experiments indicated that the soil PCB concentrations of a single incubation of strain ZY1 (R) and a single planting of A. sinicus (P) decreased by 20.5% and 23.0%, respectively, and the concentration of PCBs in soil treated with A. sinicus and strain ZY1 decreased by 53.1%. We also observed that A. sinicus-Mesorhizobium sp. ZY1 treatment (PR) improved plant biomass and the concentration of PCBs in plants compared with a single A. sinicus planting treatment (P). The results suggest that the synergistic association between A. sinicus and PCBs-degrading Mesorhizobium sp. ZY1 can stimulate the phytoextraction of PCBs and the rhizosphere microflora to degrade PCBs, and might be a promising bioremediation strategy for PCB-contaminated soil.

Temporal trends in the levels of metals, PCDD/Fs and PCBs in the vicinity of a municipal solid waste incinerator. Preliminary assessment of human health risks

The concentrations of PCDD/Fs, PCBs, and metals were determined in soil and air samples collected near a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) located in Mataró (Catalonia, Spain), being the health risks for the population living in the vicinity of the facility subsequently assessed. We also established the temporal trends with respect to previous surveys performed in the same zone. In general terms, the highest environmental levels of the pollutants were found in the city of Mataró and were independent on the distance to the MSWI. Soil levels of metals did not show temporal variations between the current and previous campaigns. However, the concentrations of metals in air samples collected in 2011 and 2013, were lower than those found in our 2008 survey. Regarding PCDD/Fs and PCBs, no differences were noted between the levels of the current survey and those corresponding to 2008. Anyhow, the concentrations of metals, PCDD/Fs, and PCBs in soils and air did not exceed the reference values established by regulatory organizations, being also in the low range of other similar studies recently reported. Finally, the human non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks due to exposure to metals, PCDD/Fs, and PCBs, were, for the population living in the neighborhood of the MSWI, considered as acceptable according to international standards.

Polychlorobenzenes and polychlorinated biphenyls in ash and soil from several industrial areas in North Vietnam: residue concentrations, profiles and risk assessment.

Polychlorinated benzenes (PCBzs) including penta- and hexachlorobenzene can be unintentionally formed from thermal processes in different industrial activities, and very little information is available on the contamination and emission characteristics of these new persistent organic pollutants from industries in Vietnam. In this study, contamination of PCBzs (including penta- and hexachlorobenzene, named PeCBz and HCB, respectively) and PCBs (including CB-28, 52, 101, 153, 138, 180) in fly ash, bottom ash and soil from combustion processes of waste incineration, metallurgy (steel making and zinc production) and cement production from several provinces in the Northern Vietnam, including Hai Duong, Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Hai Phong and Thai Nguyen, was preliminary investigated. The PCBzs concentrations in fly ash, bottom ash and soil ranged from 2.7 to 100ngg(-1), from 2.7 to 159ngg(-1) and from 0.28 to 33.9ngg(-1), respectively. Relatively high residues of PeCBz in fly ash and bottom ash from municipal waste incinerators in some provinces from the Northern Vietnam were encountered. Total PCBs concentrations ranged from 18.0 to 8260ngg(-1), from 1.0 to 10600ngg(-1) and from 14.5 to 130ngg(-1) for the fly ash, bottom ash and soil, respectively. Daily intakes of PeCBz, HCB and PCBs through soil ingestion and dermal exposure estimated for children ranged 0.33-9.93 (mean 3.14), 0.39-21.1 (mean 4.9) and 6.09-1530ng/kgbw/day (mean 346), respectively; and these intakes were about 4.7-5.4 times higher than those estimated for adult. The intakes of PeCBz and HCB were relatively low, while those for PCBs exceeded WHO TDI for some samples.