Chlorinated phenolic compounds in coniferous needles. Effects of metal and paper industry and incineration

Pine needles were analyzed for their contents of chlorinated phenolic compounds. Altogether about 30 samples from surroundings of a metal scrap plant, a pulp and paper mill, a hazardous waste incinerator and reference samples outside of the immediate influence of these were analyzed by GC/ECD and GC/MS. Most phenolic compounds in the needles were found to be bound to the plant material and were not extractable as such by organic solvents. The concentrations of some bound chlorinated phenolic compounds were on level of 1–300 ng/g in dried needle. For many compounds the concentrations were remarkably higher in the three years old needles compared to the concentrations in the one and two years old needles. In all samples the concentrations of free chlorinated phenolic compounds were remarkably lower than the concentrations of bound chlorinated compounds.