Chlorinated phenolic compounds in coniferous needles. Effects of metal and paper industry and incineration

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 35; no. 6; pp. 1175 - 1185
• Main Authors: Sinkkonen, S., Rantio, T., Paasivirta, J., Peltonen, S., Vattulainen, A., Lammi, R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.09.1997; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on plants and fungi; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Europe; Finland; Incineration plant; Gymnospermae; Air pollution; Coniferales; Spermatophyta; Chemical concentration; Plant leaf; Woody plant; Pinus; Metal scrap; Paper industry
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/S0045-6535(97)00189-6

Pine needles were analyzed for their contents of chlorinated phenolic compounds. Altogether about 30 samples from surroundings of a metal scrap plant, a pulp and paper mill, a hazardous waste incinerator and reference samples outside of the immediate influence of these were analyzed by GC/ECD and GC/MS. Most phenolic compounds in the needles were found to be bound to the plant material and were not extractable as such by organic solvents. The concentrations of some bound chlorinated phenolic compounds were on level of 1–300 ng/g in dried needle. For many compounds the concentrations were remarkably higher in the three years old needles compared to the concentrations in the one and two years old needles. In all samples the concentrations of free chlorinated phenolic compounds were remarkably lower than the concentrations of bound chlorinated compounds.