Toxic trace elements and chlorinated hydrocarbons: Sources, atmospheric transport and deposition.

Toxic trace elements and chlorinated hydrocarbons represent a special class of environmental contaminants, because of their strong bioaccumulation and persistence. Atmospheric transport and deposition by precipitation scavenging and dry deposition is an important source of these substances in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. It was concluded that available data create a basis for systematic approach to describe the environmental cycle of the heavy metals and the chlorinated hydrocarbons.