Environ. Sci. Technol.

1996, 30, 3646

Comment on Global Mass Balance for

Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins and
Dibenzofurans
SIR: Possibly there is an explanation for the fact that, for
chlorinated dioxins and dibenzofurans, Brzuzy and Hites
find global deposition rates to be four times greater than
human-induced emissions (1). A reasonable explanation
is that the total emission calculations should also include
natural biomass metabolism products, volcanic gases, and
naturally caused forest fires (probably ignited by lightning).
The importance of these three sources has been pointed
out by G. W. Gribble (2-4). Although the emissions from
these might be difficult to estimate, some quantitative
information about them is reported in the literature referred
to by Gribble. Each natural source sometimes produces
aerosols that are visible over vast areas of the earth, and the
amounts of halocarbons and furans could be very large.
Since, as Gribble mentions, the natural biomass emission

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ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / VOL. 30, NO. 12, 1996

of chloromethane is estimated to be about 5 billion kg/yr,

it seems reasonable that the naturally produced dioxinlike materials might turn out to be a significant part of the
13 thousand kg/yr deposition rate estimated by Brzuzy and
Hites. It is therefore appropriate that future calculations
on the global mass balance should attempt to include these
natural sources.

Literature Cited
(1) Brzuzy, L. P.; Hites, R. A. Environ. Sci. Technol. 1966, 30, 17971804.
(2) Gribble, G. W. Environ. Sci. Technol. 1994, 28, 310A-319A.
(3) Gribble, G. W. Environ. Sci. Technol. 1995, 29, 8A.
(4) Gribble, G. W. Environ. Sci. Technol. 1996, 30, 184A.

Daniel J. Shanefield
Ceramics Engineering Department
Rutgers University
Piscataway, New Jersey 08855-0909
ES9604929

S0013-936X(96)00492-0 CCC: $12.00

1996 American Chemical Society