Predicting the transportation tendency and potential reservoirs of dioxins by compartment distribution coefficient.

We assessed the transportation tendency of dioxins and predict locations at high risk for dioxin pollution. A new parameter, the compartment distribution coefficient D, was created to account for the tendency of dioxins to preferentially accumulate in particular compartments. It was obtained by a model using levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in four countries: Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The comparison with the temporal and spatial variation of D indicated whether the location release or long-range transportation caused the changes. This study showed that PCDD/Fs have the greatest tendency to remain in soil among studied media. A higher D value in Australia may indicate that this location is a potential future reservoir source of dioxins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]