Perspective on polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran emissions during chemical production in China: an overlooked source of contemporary relevance

Abstract

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDDs/DFs) are pollutants of significant global concern, and China with its large size and industries is one of the main dioxin-emitting countries in the world. PCDDs/DFs may be formed during the manufacture of chemicals and can either remain in the products as impurities or be emitted into the environment or residues disposed to landfills. The uncertainties in the environmental emissions of PCDDs/DFs from the chemical production industry in China are large because of the complex nature of the industry and variability in the technologies used and limited monitoring conducted. In the current study, we used the PCDD/DF emission factor from the updated United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) toolkit 2013, information from otherwise published data, and the chemical production data in 2010 to estimate PCDD/DF emissions from the chemical productions in China. Based on these data, it was estimated that there is 1480 g toxic equivalent (TEQ) from the chemical production industry in China, which is much higher than the value that was estimated and used in the national implementation plans (NIPs) for China (102.4 g TEQ in 2004). These results indicate that current PCDD/DF emissions from the chemical production industry in China may be overlooked. Therefore, we suggest that attention should be paid to PCDD/DF emissions from the chemical production industry in future updates of the Chinese NIP and that appropriate measures to decrease PCDD/DF emissions should be taken by better monitoring of products and processes in chemical production industry.

Massive PCDD/F contamination at the Khimprom organochlorine plant in Ufa—a review and recommendations for future management

“…The US EPA, however, had concluded in 1994 that PCDD/F-contaminated sites and other reservoirs are likely to become the major source of contemporary pollution problems (US EPA 1994). It has since been well established that the largest historic releases and stockpiles/wastes of PCDD/Fs are associated with the chlorine-and particularly organochlorine-industry (Garabrant et al 2009;Götz et al 2013;Holt et al 2010;Nie et al 2014;Stellman et al 2003;Weber et al 2008a, b;Weber and Varbelow 2013;Xu et al 2000;Zheng et al 2008). These legacies need to be assessed and adequately addressed to minimise human exposure and to protect the environment from further pollution by the release of PCDD/Fs and other POPs and persistent toxic pollutants from landfills/dumps and other reservoirs (Weber et al 2011a, b).…”

Evaluation of dioxins and dioxin-like compounds from a cement plant using carbide slag from chlor-alkali industry as the major raw material

“…As a typical industrial process using materials involving chlorine, the chlor-alkali industry is an important source of formation and emission of unintentional POPs [38][39][40][41][42][43]. Formation and emissions of POPs in cement kilns using solid waste from this industry should therefore be investigated to determine feasibility of its intensive practical industrial application.…”

The need for better management and control of POPs stockpiles

“…Reductions in the levels of unintentionally produced POPs in current products (addressed in this special issue by Anezaki et al 2014;Huang et al 2014a, b) and highlighted for chemical production in China by Nie et al (2014) should be an immediate goal. In the medium term, we need to substitute the listed POPs as well as the (several hundred) POPs-like substances in current use (Scheringer et al 2012;Muir and Howard 2006) with more sustainable alternatives.…”