Altitudinal and Chiral Signature of Persistent Organochlorine Pesticides in Air, Soil, and Spruce Needles (Picea abies) of the Alps Heqing Shen 1,2 , Bernhard Henkelmann 1 , Walkiria Levy 1 , Adam Zsolnay 3 , Peter Weiss 4 , Gert Jakobi 1 , Manfred Kirchner 1 , Wolfgang Moche 4 , Katharina Braun 4 , Karl-Werner Schramm 1,5 *, 1 Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Ecological Chemistry, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany 2 University Department of Growth & Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark 3 Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Soil Ecology, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany 4 Austrian Federal Environment Agency 5 TUM-Technische Universität München, Department für Biowissenschaftliche Grundlagen Weihenstephaner Steig 23, D-85350 Freising, Germany SUMMARY: Supplement information include: sample preparation and measurement, chiral biodegradation model, six tables (S1, S2-1, -2, -3, S3, S4), and 22 figures (S1, S2-1, -2, -3, S3-1, -2, -3, S4-1, -2, -3, S5, S6-1, -2, S7, S8-1, -2, S9-1, -2, S10, S11-1, -2, -3). SAMPLE PREPARATION AND MEASURMENT Soil Sample Preparation: Soil samples spiked with 13 C 12 -OCPs ( 13 C 12 labeled standards of α- HCH, HCE and OXC from Cambridge Isotope Laboratories, USA) were extracted by Accelerated Solvent Extraction with n-hexane/acetone mixture (3:1) for 30 min. The extracts were reduced and then eluted with a mixture n -hexane/dichloromethane 1:1 on a mixed column filled with 10 g silica gel, 5 g Al 2 O 3 and 2 g Na 2 SO 4 from the bottom to the top. After that, the extracts were eluted through a C18 modified silica column with acetonitrile followed by concentrating the eluates to 0.2 ml under nitrogen stream at 45°C. The extracts were transferred into vials and spiked with 2, 3, 4, 5, 6-Pentachlorotoluene (PCT) as a recovery standard (the recoveries can be calculated as the ratios of 13 C 12 -OCPs/PCT in real samples divided by the ratios of 13 C 12 -OCPs/PCT in a standard mixture; 13 C 12 -OCPs and PCT have the same amounts in the standard mixture as the amount in the samples, where 13 C 12 -OCPs were added before the extract). Finally the eluates were concentrated to 20 μl and the vials were stored at -20 °C until instrumental analysis. Organic Material Measurement in Soil: Soil samples were ground to achieve complete homogenization.