Auftreten von PCDD/PCDF in Brandfällen

Over the last years, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF) have been identified in the soot of various accidental fires at concentrations which have made an extensive reconstruction of the buildings necessary. In these cases, dioxin precursors like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) or large amounts of other halogenated organic compounds like PCV cable coatings were involved. Dependent on the circumstances of the fire and the materials burnt, the levels of contamination and the congener pattern of the PCDD/PCDF in the soot were different. The analytical results from various accidental fires were evaluated and compared with laboratory data. A hierarchical cluster analysis supports the interpretation of the data and shows that the contamination of the soot from the fire in the Düsseldorf Airport in April 1996 was a mixed contamination primarily caused by PCB and PVC.