“…PCNs have bioaccumulation potential, and a number of congeners have been detected in the atmosphere, soils and sediments (Zhao et al, 2011). Studies have shown that soil acts as a long-term store for atmospherically deposited PCNs (Krauss and Wilcke, 2003;Pan et al, 2013), therefore, wide-spread PCN contamination of soil may be expected (Harrad et al, 1994;Wild and Jones, 1995). While the environmental occurrence and dynamics of PCBs and PCDD/ Fs have been extensively studied for more than three decades, only a few studies have surveyed PCN levels in soil close to MSWIs.…”