Comparison of Dioxin/Furan Characteristics in Different US Cities.

Health-based soil screening levels for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans are decreasing as a result of the revised risk assessment by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  In some cases, soil background data demonstrate that common anthropogenic sources, such as highway traffic, can cause surface soils to exceed preliminary remediation goals for these compounds.  In this presentation we will compare several large urban background studies of dioxins and furans in soils.  We will discuss the differences and similarities in congener composition and the implications for identifying similar and different sources.  These analyses will be useful for environmental scientists conducting risk assessments, transport and fate studies, and source evaluations for dioxins and furans in urban soils.