Selected persistent organochlorine pollutants in Romania

Selected persistent organochlorine pollutants, including PCBs, DDT and its metabolites (DDTs) and hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs) were determined in soil, animal fat and human serum samples from Romania. All methods were rigorously tested and adequate quality control was ensured. Soil samples f rom Iassy County showed a lower contamination with organochlorines than sam ples from other Romanian regions. While DDTs concentrations in soil were si gnificantly higher at rural sites, only few samples (three out of 47) excee ded the official Romanian norms for DDTs. PCBs concentrations were low in r ural sites (< 8 ng/g soil), but rather high (up to 134 ng/g soil) in urban soils collected mostly from parks (Bucharest, Arad, Baia Marc, Pitesti and Ploiesti). Animal fat samples from Iassy showed high concentrations of orga nochlorine pesticides (HCHs concentrations up to 12370 ng/g fat), but simil ar PCB concentrations when compared with Arad samples. Two samples (from 24 ) exceeded the EU norms (1000 ng/g fat) for HCHs and DDTs in animal fat. Or ganochlorines were found in higher concentrations in some samples of human serum from Timisoara due to a broader age range. Samples of human serum fro m Iassy mothers showed higher HCHs and DDTs concentrations than samples fro m a similar group from Antwerp, Belgium. HCB and PCBs were higher in Antwer p cohort. Romanian samples showed a higher ratio DDT/Sigma DDTs, but simila r ratios PCB 153/Sigma PCBs. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights rese rved.