The influence of land use on the concentration and vertical distribution of PBDEs in soils of an e-waste recycling region of South China

• Vertical distributions of PBDEs in soil cores of e-waste sites were investigated.
• Non-dissolved organic carbon may have high impact on the retention of PBDEs.
• Farming patterns can significantly influence soil vertical distribution of PBDEs.
• Leaching tendency of PBDEs in paddy field was higher than in dry land.

The vertical distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in soil at four sites within an e-waste recycling region of South China was investigated. PBDE concentrations in soil ranged from 1.38 to 765 ng/g. There was a trend of decreasing PBDE concentration with soil depth, especially in the paddy field. However, high concentrations of BDE-209 were found in deeper soils indicating a highly preferential migration. There was a stronger correlation between PBDEs and total organic carbon (TOC), compared to dissolved organic carbon (DOC), which suggests that the association between non-dissolved organic carbon (NDOC) and PBDEs is stronger than for DOC. Different land use types, in particular differences in farming activities, significantly influenced the vertical distribution of PBDEs in soils. PBDEs displayed a higher leaching tendency in moist paddy soil than in drier soils. The frequent flooding condition in paddy field may facilitate the vertical transfer of PBDEs to the deeper soils.