Plant uptake of sludge-borne PCBs
Plant uptake of sludge-borne polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (similar to Aroclor 1248) was evaluated in a greenhouse study with two food-chain crops and a grass species. Polychlorinated biphenyl loading to two soils was varied in one experiment by adding different rates of a municipal sewage sludge heavily contaminated (52 mg/kg) with PCBs. In a second experiment, Aroclor 1248 was spiked into unamended soils or soils amended with another sludge containing <1mg/kg PCBs. Analysis of PCBs was by GC/MS with a reliable detection limit in plants of 20 microg/kg for individual chlorinated classes (tri, tetra-, and pentachlorobiphenyls) and total PCBs. Only carrots (Daucus carota) were contaminated with PCBs, and contamination was restricted to carrot peels. Current USEPA guidelines for land application of sludges based on sludge PCB content are shown to be extremely conservative.
- Research Organization:
- Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH (United States). Risk Reduction Engineering Lab.
- OSTI ID:
- 5607822
- Report Number(s):
- PB-91-177287/XAB; EPA--600/J-90/447
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
540220* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ABSORPTION
AROMATICS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
CONTAMINATION
FOOD CHAINS
GROUND DISPOSAL
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
LAND POLLUTION
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MUNICIPAL WASTES
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
ROOT ABSORPTION
SEWAGE
SEWAGE SLUDGE
SLUDGES
SOILS
UPTAKE
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES