PATTERNS AND SOURCES OF POLYCHLORINATED DIBENZO-P-DIOXINS AND DIBENZOFURANS FOUND IN SOIL AND SEDIMENT SAMPLES IN SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI

Using hierarchical cluster analysis and Principal Component Analysis ( PCA), sediment and soil samples from the State of Mississippi were com pared with the effluents of a pulp mill, a potential point source. Add itionally, data of many known sources of PCDD/PCDF from the scientific literature were evaluated. Both methods were able to distinguish betw een different matrices with known PCDD/PCDF contamination (e.g. PCP, P CB, kraft pulp mill effluents). In some instances, a specific PCDD/PCD F source could be correlated to an environmental sample, e.g. the patt ern of a U.S, brand of pentachlorophenate was found in sediment sample s. None of the mathematical and statistical techniques could identify the pulp mill as the source of the PCDD/PCDF in the sediments and soil s in the floodplain.