CHLORINATED HYDROCARBONS IN PINE NEEDLES IN EUROPE - FINGERPRINT FOR THE PAST AND RECENT USE

Pine needles have been demonstrated as a useful monitoring matrix for the evaluation of the tropospheric contamination levels of persistent chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as DDTs, HCHs, and HCB. Global chlorina ted hydrocarbon distribution has been investigated with major attentio n to remote areas, while the factors affecting the distribution trends in regions of major use are less known. Six countries in Europe were analyzed by the transect sampling mode. Homogeneous contamination inte nsities were present within each transect, and correspondence factor a nalysis was used for the characterization of the typical distribution patterns. The relative composition of the contaminants is revealed as characteristic for each area (''fingerprint''), and the history of the use and the socioeconomic conditions appear as the most important fac tor determining the distribution patterns.