Environmental Assessment
Pilot Survey of Levels of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-P-Dioxins (PCDDs), Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans (PCDFs), Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) and Mercury in Rural Soils of the U.S.
Report Information
EPA has released a final report entitled, Pilot Survey of Levels of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins, Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Mercury in Rural Soils of the United States. The survey measured levels of dioxins, PCBs and mercury in soil at 27 sites in rural/remote areas distributed across the country.
John Schaum
- by phone at: 703-347-8637
- by email at: schaum.john@epa.gov
Background
Many environmental contaminants accumulate in soils. Understanding the concentrations and spatial distribution of these chemicals is critical to determining how they may contribute to human exposure via direct contact or uptake through the food chain. The purpose of the report is to provide a national-scale pilot survey of the levels of the following chemicals in rural soils of the United States: - polychlorinared dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs or CDDs),
- polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs or CDFs),
- polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and
- mercury.
History/Chronology
| 2003 | The soil samples were collected during the Summer/Fall of 2003. |
| Aug 2004 | EPA completed the internal peer review. |
| Dec 2005 | An independent external peer review was completed by a 5 person expert panel. |
| Apr 2007 | EPA released the final report. |
Next Steps
This is a Final Report.
Additional Information
Citation
U.S. EPA. Pilot Survey of Levels of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-P-Dioxins (PCDDs), Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans (PCDFs), Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) and Mercury in Rural Soils of the U.S. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-05/043F, 2007.
Downloads
- Pilot Survey of Levels of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-P-Dioxins, Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Mercury in Rural Soils of the United States (PDF) (67 pp, 4 MB, about PDF)
- Appendices A to K (PDF) (192 pp, 8 MB, about PDF)
- Appendix L: Paired Air/Soil Congener Profiles (PDF) (51 pp, 12 MB, about PDF)