Selected persistent organochlorine pollutants in Romania

Selected persistent organochlorine pollutants, including PCBs, DDT and its metabolites ŽDDTs. and hexachlorocyclohexane isomers ŽHCHs. were determined in soil, animal fat and human serum samples from Romania. All methods were rigorously tested and adequate quality control was ensured. Soil samples from Iassy County showed a lower contamination with organochlorines than samples from other Romanian regions. While DDTs concentrations in soil were significantly higher at rural sites, only few samples Žthree out of 47. exceeded the official Romanian norms for DDTs. PCBs concentrations were low in rural sites Ž 8 ng g soil., but rather high Žup to 134 ng g soil. in urban soils collected mostly from parks ŽBucharest, Arad, Baia Mare, Pitesti and Ploiesti.. Animal fat samples from Iassy showed high concentrations of organochlorine pesticides ŽHCHs concentrations up to 12370 ng g fat., but similar PCB concentrations when compared with Arad samples. Two samples Žfrom 24. exceeded the EU norms Ž1000 ng g fat. for HCHs and DDTs in animal fat. Organochlorines were found in higher concentrations in some samples of human serum from Timisoara due to a broader age range. Samples of human serum from Iassy mothers showed higher HCHs and DDTs concentrations than samples from a similar group from Antwerp, Belgium. HCB and PCBs were higher in Antwerp cohort. Romanian samples showed a higher ratio DDT DDTs, but similar ratios PCB 153 PCBs.