Spatial and temporal variation, source profile, and formation mechanisms of PCDD/Fs in the atmosphere of an e‐waste recycling area, South China

Abstract

The present study investigated the impact of typical electronic waste (e-waste) dismantling activities on the distribution of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in the adjacent atmospheric environment. The target areas included the town of Longtang, a well known e-waste recycling site, and 2 affected neighborhoods, all of which were within the city of Qingyuan, Guangdong Province, China. Air samples were collected from the 3 locations and analyzed following the standard methods. The results showed that the atmospheric PCDD/F level in Longtang was 159.41 pg m À3 , which was approximately 16 to 17 times higher than its neighborhoods and 2 to 4 orders of magnitude higher than baseline levels reported for urban cities of the world. The homologue profiles were quite different from the typical urban air patterns, as de novo synthesis was likely to be the dominant formation pathway of the detected PCDD/Fs. The seasonal variations were minor, and the concentration change of PCDD/Fs between day and night did not follow a clear pattern. Given the unique atmospheric PCDD/F concentrations, similar homologue profiles, and the elemental carbon/organic carbon relationships of the 3 sampling sites, the relatively high dioxin levels in its 2 neighborhoods were most likely the result of the primitive e-waste dismantling activities undertaken in the town of Longtang. A simple risk assessment also showed that the residents of Qingyuan were at high risk of exposure to PCDD/Fs. Environ Toxicol Chem 2014;33:500-507. # 2013 SETAC

Levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and biphenyls (PCBs) in blood of informal e-waste recycling workers from Agbogbloshie, Ghana, and controls

“…BFR containing or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coated copper cables, provide optimal conditions for de novo formation of halogenated aromatic compounds, such as PCDD/Fs, its brominated equivalents PBDD/Fs, mixed brominated/chlorinated homologies (PXDD/Fs) and other dioxin-related compounds (DRCs) (Weber and Kuch, 2003;Hedman et al, 2005;Gullett et al, 2007;Duan et al, 2011;Hibbert and Ogunseitan, 2014). Due to uncontrolled combustion and thermal processing of e-waste, these POPs have been found in the air, bottom ash, dust, soil, water and sediment samples from EWRSs worldwide, partly in tremendous high concentrations (Li et al, 2007;Wong et al, 2007;Brigden et al, 2008;Liu et al, 2008;Ma et al, 2009aMa et al, , 2009bWen et al, 2009Wen et al, , 2011Ni et al, 2010;Tue et al, 2010b;Zhang et al, 2012b;Chan and Wong, 2013;Hu et al, 2013;Labunska et al, 2013;Ren et al, 2013;Wang et al, 2013;Hosoda et al, 2014;Xiao et al, 2014). The share of annual mass of e-waste derived PCDD/F in China alone is estimated to be in the range of several kilograms (Ni et al, 2010).…”

Heavy metal exposure has adverse effects on the growth and development of preschool children

“…It was estimated that only 15% of global e-waste were fully recycled (Heacock et al 2016). China processed about 70% of the e-waste produced worldwide and struggled with e-waste burden due to previous illegal e-waste importation, domestic production and consumption of EEE, and unregulated informal handling and recycling (Gao et al 2011;Zhang et al 2012;Xiao et al 2014). E-waste contains two major types of substances: metals (60%) and plastics (30%) (Widmer et al 2005;Fujimori and Takigami 2014;Anh et al 2017).…”

Global occurrence, chemical properties, and ecological impacts of e-wastes (IUPAC Technical Report)

“…For instance, in 2006 the total mass concentrations of 17 2,3,7,8-substituted PCDD/Fs in the air of an ewaste recycling site in Longtang, China was found to range from 52 to 548 pg m −3 , with an average of 237 pg m −3 , which was much higher than the reported range for global urban/industrial areas [122]. In another study, the atmospheric PCDD/F level in an e-waste site in Longtang (159.41 pg m −3 as toxic equivalents, TEQ) was 2 to 4 times higher than baseline levels reported for world urban cities [123]. However, since the implementation of laws forbidding open burning and acid washing by the Chinese government in the 2010s, the atmospheric PCDD/F level has been significantly reduced [122].…”