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The occurrence and environmental effect of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Taurus Mountains soils

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Abstract

Purpose

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are of global concern due to their ubiquitous presence and toxicity. The occurence of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), -dibenzofurans (PCDFs), co-planar biphenyls (PCBs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCH), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDT), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in forest soil collected from Taurus mountains may have adverse effects on the environment and health. The aim of the study was to investigate the outcome and distribution of POPs in the environment and the possible grasshopper effect along an altitude transect from sea level up to nearly 2,000 m a.s.l at a spatial distance of about 60 km in the southeastern Turkish Mediterranean Sea.

Methods

The samples were collected at a height of 121, 408, 981, 1,225, 1,373, 1,639, and 1,881 m above sea level from Taurus Mountains, Turkey. The results were confirmed using high-resolution gas chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry.

Results

The levels of the PCDD in forest soil from Taurus Mountains varied from nearly 4 to 12 pg g−1 dry weight (dw). PCDF concentrations ranged from 2 to 7 pg g−1 dw. Considerably high DDT levels detected in five stations indicated (3,223–24,564 pg g−1) its extensive local application or atmospheric transport. PCB levels were determined between 80 and 288 pg g−1 dw. HCH concentrations ranged from 141 to 1,513 pg g−1 dw. The other OCP was between 102 and 731 pg g−1.

Conclusion

Although the use of POPs has been banned, our results show that they could still be found in Turkey. Their presence may be attributed to the degradation of pesticides which are newly banned and, as well as to the atmospheric migration and deposition. The lattitude of sampling sites, the chemical, and physical parameters of soil have observed no effect on the fate of POPs in the environment.

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Acknowledgments

This research has been supported by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) and International Bureau of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany through a joint research project (project nos.109 T002 in Turkey and TUR 08/002 in Germany), and we would like to thank both Serhan MERMER and Melis USLUY for their assistance in carrying out the extensive investigations

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Agriculture, Adnan Menderes University, 09100, Aydin, Turkey

    Cafer Turgut & Levent Atatanir

  2. Faculty of Arts and Science, Department of Biology, Mersin University, 33363, Mersin, Turkey

    Birgül Mazmanci

  3. Engineering Faculty, Department of Environmental Engineering, Mersin University, 33363, Mersin, Turkey

    Mehmet Ali Mazmanci

  4. Helmholtz Zentrum München–German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Institute of Ecological Chemistry, Ingolstädter Landstr.1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany

    Bernhard Henkelmann & Karl-Werner Schramm

  5. Department für Biowissenschaften, TUM, Wissenschaftszentrum Weihenstephan für Ernährung und Landnutzung, Weihenstephaner Steig 23, 85350, Freising, Germany

    Karl-Werner Schramm

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  1. Cafer Turgut
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  2. Levent Atatanir
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  3. Birgül Mazmanci
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  4. Mehmet Ali Mazmanci
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  5. Bernhard Henkelmann
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  6. Karl-Werner Schramm
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Correspondence to Karl-Werner Schramm.

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Responsible editor: Ake Bergman

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Turgut, C., Atatanir, L., Mazmanci, B. et al. The occurrence and environmental effect of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Taurus Mountains soils. Environ Sci Pollut Res 19, 325–334 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-011-0561-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-011-0561-x

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