PCDD/F concentrations in soil and vegetation in the vicinity of a municipal waste incinerator after a pronounced decrease in the emissions of PCDD/Fs from the facility

Emission of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) by municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWI) is an issue of great concern. In 1997, an adaptation to the EU legislation on pollutant emissions from the stack was carried out in an MSWI from Tarragona (Catalonia, Spain). As a result, PCDD/F emissions were significantly reduced. The aim of this study was to determine the current levels of PCDD/Fs in soil and vegetation samples collected near the facility and to compare these levels with those obtained in previous surveys (1996 and 1997). In the period 1997–1999, PCDD/F concentrations in vegetation samples were significantly decreased (60%). By contrast, the levels of PCDD/Fs in soil samples increased slightly (14%, P>0.05) during the same period. An exhaustive analysis of the present data indicates that other emission sources of PCDD/Fs have also a notable environmental impact on the area under direct influence of the MSWI.