Vertical distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in soil cores taken from a typical electronic waste polluted area in South China.

37 PBDE congeners were analyzed at six different depths in two soil cores taken from a typical electronic waste polluted area in South China. The PBDEs were congregated in the surface layer (0-5 cm) of soil cores and were 29 times in MK and 18 times in NW higher than the second lower layers (5-10 cm). As a whole, the concentrations of PBDEs were decreased with the soil depth increased in two cores. Lower brominated PBDE had higher penetrability than the deca-BDE in soil. The deca-BDE could be detected in deeper soil layers (15-20 cm in MK and 20-30 cm in NW) and the percentage of deca-BDE decreased with the increase of depth.