Accumulation of Airborne Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Foliage

Abstract

Plant foliage accumulates the vapor of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) from the atmosphere, and there is a variation in the amount that is accumulated from one plant species to another. This differential accumulation factor between species remains constant over more than two orders of magnitude of PCB concentrations in plants. The relationships between foliar and atmospheric PCB concentrations hold promise for cost-effective atmospheric PCB monitoring through foliar analyses.