POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS AND POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS IN SOILS FROM DANUBE DELTA

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), are highly hydrophobic and lipophilic. This makes them prone to accumulating in the environment and posing a risk to wildlife and human health. PCBs and PAHs can enter the environment through the dredging of waterways. This study aimed to determine the extent of PCB and PAH contamination in soil samples collected from the Danube Delta region. The samples were collected at different depths from six locations and the contaminants were extracted from soil with hexane/acetone and determined by gas and liquid chromatography. The results show the presence of the lower chlorinated biphenyls, PCB 28 and PCB 52, with concentrations which exceed in 16.6% of the samples even the intervention threshold of 0.01 mg/kg for PCB 52. Anthracene and phenanthrene were the 3-ring PAHs, contributing 58.3% of the total PAHs concentration.