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Document Type

Journal Article

Department/Unit

Department of Biology; Department of Chemistry; Croucher Institute for Environmental Sciences; Dioxin Analysis Laboratory

Abstract

This paper reviews the concentrations of persistent organic pollutants such as flame retardants (PBDEs), dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and heavy metals/metalloid concentrations of different environmental media at Guiyu, a traditional rice-growing village located in southeastern Guangdong Province (PR China), which has turned into an intensive electronic-waste (e-waste) recycling site. Incomplete combustion of e-waste in open air and dumping of processed materials are the major sources of various toxic chemicals. By comparing with existing data available in other areas and also guidelines adopted in different countries, it is obvious that the environment is highly contaminated by these toxic chemicals derived from the recycling processes. For example, the monthly concentration of the sum of 22 PBDE congeners contained in PM2.5 (16.8 ng m−3) of air samples at Guiyu was 100 times higher than published data. In order to safeguard the environment and human health, detailed investigations are urgently needed, especially on tracking the exposure pathways of different toxic chemicals which may affect the workers and local residents especially mothers, infants and children.

Keywords

Electronic waste, Environmental media, Heavy metals, PAHs, PBDEs, PCBs, PCDD/Fs

Publication Date

2007

Source Publication Title

Environmental Pollution

Volume

149

Issue

2

Start Page

131

End Page

140

Publisher

Elsevier

Peer Reviewed

1

DOI

10.1016/j.envpol.2007.01.044

Link to Publisher's Edition

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2007.01.044

ISSN (print)

02697491

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