Comparative study on PCDD/F pollution in soil from the Antarctic, Arctic and Tibetan Plateau

•The level of PCDD/Fs in soil at the Three Poles was reported.•PCDD/F congener profiles in soil from the Three Poles were compared.•Potential local and regional PCDD/F sources were conducted by FLEXPART simulation.

The concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in 35 soil samples collected from Fildes Peninsula in the Antarctic, Ny-Ålesund in the Arctic, and Zhangmu-Nyalam in the Tibetan Plateau were reported in this study. A comparison of the total concentration and TEQ of PCDD/Fs at the Three Poles was conducted. Both the total concentration and TEQ of PCDD/Fs demonstrates a decreasing trend in the order of Zhangmu-Nyalam (mean: 26.22 pg/g, 0.37 pg I-TEQ/g) > Ny-Ålesund (mean: 9.97 pg/g, 0.33 pg I-TEQ/g) > Fildes Peninsula (mean: 2.18 pg/g, 0.015 pg I-TEQ/g) (p < 0.05). In all samples, the congener and homologue profiles dominated with higher (seven and eight) chlorinated PCDD/Fs (more than 85% of the total mass percentage of PCDD/Fs) at the Three Poles. Finally, a FLEXPART backward simulation was used to preliminarily identify the potential local and regional anthropogenic sources of PCDD/Fs. The results imply that the air masses passing over surrounding regions with significant PCDD/F emissions might contribute to the occurrence of PCDD/Fs in both the Arctic and Tibetan Plateau.