PERSISTENCE OF POLYCHLORINATED DIBENZO-P-DIOXINS AND POLYCHLORINATED DIBENZOFURANS IN CONTAMINATED SOIL AT MAULACH AND RASTATT IN SOUTHWEST GERMANY

This study presents the results of our investigations on the fate arid migration of PCDD, PCDF, PCB, PCP and hexachlorobenzene in contaminated soils in the surroundings of two industrial plants in Southwest Germany. Soil samples were taken in 1981, 1987 and 1989 at the same sites and from the same depth, using the same sampling method. Only little movement and neither an appreciable loss of PCDD and PCDF nor significant changes in the homologue and isomer patterns, either by volatilization or decomposition, could be detected over this period of time.