Occurrence of organochlorine compounds in a forest bog at Stubbetorp, Kolmården : -Indication for a natural formation?

Abstract: Volatile organochlorine compounds emitted from natural sources can participate in environmentally relevant processes affecting life on Earth, such as stratospheric ozone destruction and warming of the troposphere. The aim of this study was to investigate if forest bogs contribute to the environmental input of naturally produced volatile organochlorine compounds. The concentrations of four different volatile organochlorine compounds were determined in ambient air, rainwater, surface water, and sub-surface water. For chloroform, up to 10-times higher concentrations were detected in the surface water compared to the sub-surface water taken at 40 cm depth. As the concentrations of chloroform in rainwater where almost in the same range as the concentrations in the sub-surface water, a formation of chloroform is suggested in the surface water. The results of this study indicate forest bogs as a possible new natural source for the input of volatile organochlorine into the environment.