Accidental release of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p-dioxin (TCDD) at Sèveso, Italy : II. TCDD distribution in the soil surface layer

A chemical plant failure 13 miles north of Milan, Italy produced a seriously dangerous contamination of inhabited areas, extending from the plant itself for a few kilometers in the south-southeast direction. Many environmental specimens were sampled and analyzed to assess distribution of TCDD in the soil surface layer of the territory hit so as to enable the appropriate sanitary measures to be taken. On the basis of contamination maps, three zones were established: Zone A, Zone B, and Zone R which enclosed the former two. This paper describes the procedures adopted to assess the contamination of soil due to TCDD. TCDD concentrations were seen to vary in the range