Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in air, soil, and cereal crops along the two tributaries of River Chenab, Pakistan: Concentrations, distribution, and screening level risk assessment

This study reports the first systematic data on PCB levels and their risk assessments by consumption of cereal food crops from Pakistan. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) including dioxin-like PCBs (dl-PCBs) were analyzed in wheat (n = 28), rice (n = 28), air (n = 6), and soil (n = 28) samples to assess the levels, spatial distribution pattern, and their risk assessments along with the two tributaries of River Chenab, Pakistan. ∑33PCB concentrations ranged between 0.15-2.22 ng g− 1 dW, 0.05-9.21 ng g− 1 dW, 0.70-30.5 ng g− 1 dW and 41-299 pg m− 3 in the wheat, rice, soil, and air samples, respectively. In the current study, comparatively lower dioxin toxicity equivalency (TEQ) values were calculated from the previously reported data. Hazardous ratio (HR) for human health risk assessment allied to non-cancer was found lower than integrity.