Relationships between chlorinated hydrocarbons in vegetation and socioeconomic indices on a global scale

Many advances have been made in the comprehension of the environmental distribution of persistent organic chemicals. Previous studies on chlorinated hydrocarbons in vegetation have shown that physicochemical properties in combination with environmental characteristics are the most important factors in determining the distribution pattern in remote areas, while present and past use seem to be the most important element near source areas. To better understand how a country's technological level and socioeconomic conditions impact on the environment in terms of organic contamination, several published data on contamination in vegetation by HCHs, HCB, and DDTs along with a new set of results from different countries were considered in relation to socioeconomic indices (Gross National Product per capita and Human Development Index). HCB and secondly γ-HCH seem to be linked to the economic development, while among the DDTs only the DDT/ DDE ratio shows a significant relationship with the considered indices. The proposed relationships between pollution and development highlight new elements that contribute to the understanding of the inputs and distribution of organic contaminants.