Heavy metals and organic compounds contamination in soil from an e-waste region in South China

Abstract

Heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were analyzed in 34 surface soil samples collected from farmland and 7 soil or dust samples collected from the workshops in South China, where e-waste was dismantled using primitive techniques. The results show that Cd, Cu and Hg were the most abundant metals, in particular Cd pollution was serious in farmland soils, and the median concentrations in farmland soils were beyond the environmental quality standard for soils (China Grade II). A correlation between Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb and PCBs or PBDEs was significant indicating similar sources. Among the PCB congeners, high relative similarity was observed between the e-waste dump site soil (EW1) and Aroclor 1254, implying that the technical product Aroclor 1254 was one of the major sources of PCB contamination. High concentrations of PCBs in workshop dusts (D2 and D3) (1958 and 1675 mg kg À1 ) demonstrated that the workshops dismantling electrical wires and cables, electrical motors, compressors and aluminum apparatus containing PCBs in lubricants represent strong PCB emission sources to this area. Principal component analysis (PCA) and PBDE homologue patterns verify that farmland soils surrounding the e-waste recycling sites were enriched with lower brominated congeners, and the major source of PBDEs in dust samples might potentially be associated with the extensive use of deca-mix technical products as a flame retardant. The difference between e-waste soils, dusts and farmland soils can be observed in the PCA score plot of PCBs and PBDEs, and E-waste soils and dusts exhibited more diversity than farmland soils. Furthermore, a prediction of the particular kinds of pollution from different recycling activities through the analysis of each contamination and the connections between them was investigated. Environmental impactThe recent worldwide boom in electrical and electronic equipment is driving the dramatic growth of e-waste, and the recycling by primitive techniques in South China results in the contamination of the workplace and the surrounding environment by toxic metals and persistent organic pollutants. This study examined the distribution of heavy metals and organic compounds in surface soils and workshop dusts, associated with the contaminants and investigated any possible association between heavy metals and different homologue-groups of PCBs and PBDEs. The correlations of contaminants and principal component analysis of technical origin and environmental behaviors indicated the signicance of such recycling as an emission source of this area and veried the particular kinds of pollution from different recycling activities.

Human dietary intake of organohalogen contaminants at e-waste recycling sites in Eastern China

“…Such rudimentary recycling and disposal practices can result in high occupational and incidental exposure to a range of hazardous substances, and generate locally severe environmental contamination. Once released to the environment surrounding e-waste treatment facilities, BFRs and PCBs may accumulate in soils and sediments (Tang et al, 2010;Zhang et al, 2012;Labunska et al, 2013a;Liu et al, 2013) and become available for uptake by both terrestrial and aquatic organisms (Fu et al, 2010;Shang et al, 2013). Consequently, contaminants may enter the food chain with resultant pervasive and prolonged exposure to people residing in the vicinity of e-waste recycling areas.…”

CHAPTER 7. Heavy Metal Pollution in Water Resources in China—Occurrences and Public Health Implications

“…3,26,66,67 The town of Guiyu in Guangdong Province is one such e-waste recycling centre of China. Many heavy metals, including copper, lead, nickel, cadmium, mercury and arsenic, were detected in surface water and sediment samples collected from the Lianjiang River area.…”

What is the resource footprint of a computer science department? Place, people, and Pedagogy

“…15 For example, the electromagnetic radiation of mobile telecommunication antennas can affect wild pollinator abundance and composition (Lázaro et al, 2016). Heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants produced as a result of (in)formal e-waste recycling activities can contaminate soil and water at the recovery site as well as nearby farmland threatening humans, crops, and livestock (Amfo-Otu et al, 2013;Liu et al, 2013;Zhang et al, 2015;Landrigan et al, 2018). Current energy and raw material consumption, land use, and pollution (Landrigan et al, 2018) are key drivers of change of biodiversity for food and agriculture (Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, 2019) and factors contributing to the degradation and contamination of soil, a nonrenewable resource whose preservation is essential if current and future generations are to meet their food, feed, fibre, dye, medicine, fuel, and other needs (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2015; Suárez-Torres et al, 2017).…”