Copper slag, containing high levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF) was used as covering material of a community sports field. This led to a contamination up to 40 000 fold in comparison to background concentrations in soils. Levels and patterns of dioxins found in sediments of a nearby river proved a translocation of contaminated copper slag, while slightly elevated dioxin levels found in soil from nearby house gardens could not be attributed to the sports field as the source of dioxins.
The annual flux of dioxins and furans to the environment was estimated using worst-case assumptions and the potential exposure of humans was deduced. Calculations of possible PCDD/PCDF-fluxes to the environment showed that only one major process - wind erosion - may have contributed to more than 90% of the total dioxin flux from the contaminated site to the surroundings, Based on PCDD/PCDF-exposure pathways for humans it was concluded that the PCDD/PCDF-content of the copper slag of the sports field did not pose a health hazard to athletes nor to the residents living in the neighbourhood.