Does an analysis of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) distribution in mountain soils across China reveal a latitudinal fractionation paradox?
2014
Zheng, Qian | Nizzetto, Luca | Mulder, Marie D. | Sáňka, Ondřej | Lammel, Gerhard | Li, Jun | Bing, Haijian | Liu, Xin | Jiang, Yishan | Luo, Chunlin | Zhang, Gan
Organic and mineral soil horizons from forests in 30 mountains across China were analysed for polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB). Soil total organic carbon (TOC) content was a key determinant of PCB distribution explaining over 90% of the differences between organic and mineral soils, and between 30% and 60% of the variance along altitudinal and regional transects. The residual variance (after normalization by TOC) was small. Tri- to tetra-CB levels were higher in the South in relation to high source density and precipitation. Heavier congeners were instead more abundant at mid/high-latitudes where the advection pattern was mainly from long range transport. This resulted in a latitudinal fractionation opposite to theoretical expectations. The study showed that exposure to sources with different characteristics, and possibly accumulation/degradation trends of different congeners in soils being out-of-phase at different latitudes, can lead to an unsteady large scale distribution scenario conflicting with the thermodynamic equilibrium perception.
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