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PCDD/PCDFs and PCBs in the irrigation water in Egypt: levels, patterns, and potential sources

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Abstract

The contamination levels of PCDD/PCDFs in irrigation water are the most rarely studied throughout the world. The major problem in Egypt is the lack of studies and statistics about these contaminants of POPs in irrigation water. Therefore, this study is the first comprehensive report to elucidate the estimation and sources of PCDD/PCDFs and PCBs in irrigation water from Egypt and rare for worldwide may provide a reference to future studies of POPs compounds in irrigation water of Egypt. A total of 24 irrigated water samples were collected from different irrigation canals which are adjacent to industrial areas from six Egyptian governorates (Bani Swef, El-Giza, El-Sharkeya, El-Menoufeya, El-Gharbeya, and Alexandria). The study shows that irrigation water canals were contaminated with low levels of PCDDs/PCDFs, which were 0.95 pgWHO-TEQ/l, and the total of PCDD/PCDFs and dl-PCBs were 2.06 pgWHO-TEQ/l with contamination ranging between 0.88 to 2.97 pgWHO-TEQ/l while the levels of indicator PCBs were 18.52 ng/l and ranged between 0.39 to 165.6 ng/l. The most predominant dioxins congeners were HpCDD, OCDD, HpCDF, and OCDF while for dl-PCBs were PCB105 and PCB118, and for ndl-PCBs was PCB138. The areas with recent urbanization and industrialization were more contaminated with PCBs than the unindustrialized area. Lightly to moderately chlorinated congeners dominated the PCB profiles. The major sources for these contaminants were fire bricks followed by textile industries closer to the located sampling sites. The detected pattern was found to be similar to the patterns reported in the air by other studies. Although the concentrations of the studied POPs are found to be low in irrigated water, it may be considered as a potential source of soil pollution due to their accumulation process in the agricultural land and may lead to risk on human health by consuming the agricultural products irrigated by contaminated water.

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Acknowledgments

This study was carried out by Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) section in Central Lab of Residue Analysis of Pesticides and Heavy Metals in Food–Agricultural Research Center, which accredited according to ISO/IEC 17025:2005 by Finnish Accreditation Service (FINAS) since 2006.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Central Laboratory of Residue Analysis of Pesticides and Heavy Metals in Food (QCAP), Agricultural Research Center (ARC), Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, 7, Nadi Elsaid Street, Dokki, Giza, P.O.12311, Egypt

    M. M. Abd El-Rahman, Ashraf S. Hassanin & Y. M. Nabil

  2. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, P.O.11566, Egypt

    M. F. El-Shahat

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  1. M. M. Abd El-Rahman
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  2. Ashraf S. Hassanin
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  3. M. F. El-Shahat
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  4. Y. M. Nabil
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Correspondence to Y. M. Nabil.

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El-Rahman, M.M.A., Hassanin, A.S., El-Shahat, M.F. et al. PCDD/PCDFs and PCBs in the irrigation water in Egypt: levels, patterns, and potential sources. Environ Monit Assess 191, 529 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-019-7623-9

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