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Characterization of dioxin-like contamination in soil and sediments from the “hot spot” area of petrochemical plant in Pancevo (Serbia)

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Abstract

Purpose

Combinatorial bio/chemical approach was applied to investigate dioxin-like contamination of soil and sediment at the petrochemical and organochlorine plant in Pancevo, Serbia, after the destruction of manufacturing facilities that occurred in the spring of 1999 and subsequent remediation actions.

Materials and methods

Soil samples were analyzed for indicator polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) by gas chromatography/electron capture detection (GC/ECD). Prioritized soil sample and sediment samples from the waste water channel were analyzed for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) by high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS). Microethoxyresorufin o-deethylase (Micro-EROD) and H4IIE–luciferase bioassays were used for monitoring of dioxin-like compounds (DLC) and for better characterization of dioxin-like activity of soil samples.

Results

Bioanalytical results indicated high dioxin-like activity in one localized soil sample, while the chemical analysis confirmed the presence of large quantities of DLC: 3.0 × 105 ng/g d.w. of seven-key PCBs, 8.2 ng/g d.w. of PCDD/Fs, and 3.0 × 105 ng/g d.w. of planar and mono-ortho PCBs. In the sediment, contaminant concentrations were in the range 2–8 ng/g d.w. of PCDD/Fs and 9–20 ng/g d.w. of PCBs.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates the utility of combined application of bioassays and instrumental analysis, especially for developing and transition country which do not have capacity of the expensive instrumental analysis. The results indicate the high contamination of soil in the area of petrochemical plant, and PCDD/Fs contamination of the sediment from the waste water channel originating from the ethylene dichloride production.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Serbian Ministry of Science Grant No. 143058 and the Project INCHEMBIOL VZ0021622412. Rolf Anderson at the Department of Chemistry, Umeå University is acknowledged for performing comprehensive PCDD/F analysis and PCB analysis of sediments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Ecotoxicology (LECOTOX), University of Novi Sad Faculty of Science, Trg D. Obradovica 2, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia

    Sonja Kaisarevic, Nebojsa Andric, Kristina Pogrmic-Majkic, Mirjana Vojinovic-Miloradov & Radmila Kovacevic

  2. Research Centre for Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology (RECETOX), Masaryk University, Kamenice 3, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic

    Klara Hilscherova

  3. POPs Environmental Consulting, Ulmenstraβe 3, 73035, Göppingen, Germany

    Roland Weber

  4. Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, SE-90187, Umeå, Sweden

    Kristina L. Sundqvist & Mats Tysklind

  5. Institute of Public Health, Prvomajska 1, Maribor, Slovenia

    Ernest Voncina

  6. Institute of Occupational Health, Futoska 121, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia

    Stanka Bobic

  7. Department Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada

    John Paul Giesy

  8. Department of Zoology, National Food Safety and Toxicology Centre, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    John Paul Giesy

  9. Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China

    John Paul Giesy

Authors
  1. Sonja Kaisarevic
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  2. Klara Hilscherova
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  3. Roland Weber
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  5. Mats Tysklind
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  6. Ernest Voncina
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  7. Stanka Bobic
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  8. Nebojsa Andric
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  9. Kristina Pogrmic-Majkic
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  10. Mirjana Vojinovic-Miloradov
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  11. John Paul Giesy
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  12. Radmila Kovacevic
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sonja Kaisarevic.

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Responsible editor Ake Bergman

This article belongs to the series “Dioxin and POP contaminated sites” edited by Roland Weber, Mats Tysklind, and Caroline Gaus.

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Kaisarevic, S., Hilscherova, K., Weber, R. et al. Characterization of dioxin-like contamination in soil and sediments from the “hot spot” area of petrochemical plant in Pancevo (Serbia). Environ Sci Pollut Res 18, 677–686 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-010-0418-8

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