Urban Farm DB
Research catalogue
Database research record2004·Global

Does the soil-air-plant pathway contribute to the PCB contamination of apples from allotment gardens?

Martin Krauß, J. Moering, Walther Amelung

OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information)

Urban Farm DB summary

This study aimed to assess whether local soil contamination contributes to PCB contamination in apples (Malus domestica Borkh.) at an allotment garden site, in addition to background atmospheric deposition. The importance of the soil-air-plant pathway for persistent organic pollutants like PCBs has been rarely studied, and it is unknown if volatilization from contaminated soils or deposition of contaminated soil dust is a significant source compared to background deposition. The research sought to clarify this potential contamination route for apples.