Spatial distributions of hexachlorobutadiene in agricultural soils from the Yangtze River Delta region of China

Abstract

Hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD) is one of the persistent organic pollutants (POPs) listed by the Stockholm Convention and poses potential risks to human health and ecosystems. To reveal the regional-scale pollution status of HCBD in agricultural soils from fast-developing areas, an extensive investigation was conducted in the core Yangtze River Delta (YRD), China. The detectable concentrations of HCBD in 241 soil samples ranged from 0.07 to 8.47 ng g⁻¹ dry weight, with an average value of 0.32 ng g⁻¹ and a detection rate of 59.3%. Industrial emissions and intensive agricultural activities were the potential source of HCBD. The concentrations of HCBD were highly associated with the soil physicochemical properties such as organic matter contents. Higher concentrations of HCBD were found in paddy fields than other land-use types. The concentrations of HCBD were much lower than those of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls. Significant positive correlations were found between HCBD and most organochlorine pesticides. HCBD was not found in ten vegetable samples due to its low concentration and detection rate. A positive relationship was observed between the level of HCBD and the biomass of fungi, indicating that the fungi in soils might be influenced by the existence of HCBD. The potential risks of HCBD to ecosystems and health of inhabitants were estimated to be negligible. The finding from this study provides an important basis for soil quality assessment and risk management of HCBD in China.