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Organic Pollutants in Areas Impacted by Flooding in 2002: A 4-Year Survey

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Abstract

This paper summarizes a 4-year survey focused on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and halogenated persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in river sediments, soil and crops collected in the locality impacted by catastrophic floods that occurred in the western part of Bohemia in August 2002. In spite of relatively high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in river sediments, the increase of these POPs in flooded arable soil was not significant. On the other hand, remarkably higher levels of PAHs and dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane (DDTs) were found as compared to those in reference soil samples. Regardless of this increased soil pollution, no measurable elevated concentrations of POPs occurred in the wheat grown in this area.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported financially by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic as a part of a COST Action 629 “Water pollution in natural porous media at different scales: fate, impact and indicator” and MSM 6046137305).

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Correspondence to J. Hajšlová.

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Pulkrabová, J., Suchanová, M., Tomaniová, M. et al. Organic Pollutants in Areas Impacted by Flooding in 2002: A 4-Year Survey. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 81, 299–304 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-008-9486-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-008-9486-6

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