Topsoil dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations and sources along an urban-rural gradient in the Yellow River Delta

Abstract The Yellow River Delta (YRD) is a typical agricultural and petrochemical industrial area of China. To assess the current status of soil dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) residues, topsoil samples (0–15 cm) ( n = 82) were collected in Bincheng District, at the geographic center of the YRD. The total concentrations of six DDT homologues were within 3.3–3819 μg/kg, with a mean concentration of 191 μg/kg, showing significant increase along urban-rural gradient. Soil concentrations of seven indicator PCBs in the area ranged from non-detectable to 87.0 μg/kg, dominated by heavily chlorinated PCBs (PCB-101 and −118). Soil PCBs concentrations were significantly greater in urban than suburban and rural areas. Principal component and multiple linear regression analysis suggest that 86.4% of soil DDTs originate from past DDT usage, and 13.6% originate from dicofol application. Soil PCBs most likely originate from the petrochemical industry (77.1%), municipal solid waste disposal (16.5%), local commercial PCB homologues usage (5.2%), and long-range atmospheric deposition (1.2%). In general, soil DDTs pollution was classified as low level, and mean PCBs concentrations were below the severe contamination classification range. Because PCB-118 is a dioxin-like congener, monitoring and remediation is advised to assess and reduce negative environmental and human health effects from soil DDTs and dioxin-like congeners in the study area.