TY - JOUR
T1 - Environmental contamination from electronic waste recycling at Guiyu, southeast China
AU - LEUNG, Anna Oi Wah
AU - CAI, Zongwei
AU - WONG, Ming Hung
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments The authors thank Dr. Y Liang, Dr. TG Luan, Mr. J Duan, Ms. L. Lin, Ms. X.L. Li, and in particular, Dr. X.X. Liu for field assistance, and also Dr. C.W. Lee and Mr. R.E. Hall for the Open Burning Test Facility Burn Hut study. Part of this paper was presented at the International Conference on Electronic Waste and Extended Producer Responsibility in China, April 21–22, 2004, held in Beijing, China. Financial support for this work was provided by Group Research – Central Allocation RGC/UGC, Hong Kong (HKBU 1/03C).
PY - 2006/3
Y1 - 2006/3
N2 - The disposal, recycling, and part salvaging of discarded electronic devices such as computers, printers, televisions, and toys are now creating a new set of waste problems. This study is aimed at identifying the sources and quantifying the pollution levels generated from electronic waste (e-waste) activities at Guiyu, Guangdong Province, China, and their potential impacts on the environment and human health. The preliminary results indicate that total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil obtained from a printer roller dump site was 593∈μg/kg dry weight (dry wt.) and in sediment from a duck pond, the PAH concentration was 514∈μg/kg (dry wt.). Sediment from the Lianjiang River was found to be contaminated by polychlorinated biphenyls (743∈μg/kg) at a level approaching three times the Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines probable effect level of 277∈μg/kg. Total mono- to hepta-brominated diphenyl ether homologue concentrations (1140 and 1169∈μg/kg dry wt.) in soils near dumping sites were approximately 10-60 times those reported for other polybrominated diphenyl ether-contaminated locations in the world. In-house study on the open burning of cable wires showed extremely high levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans resulting in 12419∈ng toxic equivalents (TEQ)/kg of waste input and 15∈610∈ng TEQ/kg for two separate tests, respectively, which were about three orders of magnitude higher than those for the open burning of household waste. High levels of Cu (712, 528, and 496∈mg/kg), exceeding the new Dutch list action value, were determined for soil near the printer roller dumping area, sediment from Lianjiang River, and soil from a plastic burn site, respectively. A more thorough study is underway to elucidate the extent of contamination of toxic pollutants in different ecological compartments to establish whether these pollutants are bioaccumulated and biomagnified through food chains. Assessments of human health impacts from oral intake, inhalation, and dermal contact will be subsequently investigated.
AB - The disposal, recycling, and part salvaging of discarded electronic devices such as computers, printers, televisions, and toys are now creating a new set of waste problems. This study is aimed at identifying the sources and quantifying the pollution levels generated from electronic waste (e-waste) activities at Guiyu, Guangdong Province, China, and their potential impacts on the environment and human health. The preliminary results indicate that total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil obtained from a printer roller dump site was 593∈μg/kg dry weight (dry wt.) and in sediment from a duck pond, the PAH concentration was 514∈μg/kg (dry wt.). Sediment from the Lianjiang River was found to be contaminated by polychlorinated biphenyls (743∈μg/kg) at a level approaching three times the Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines probable effect level of 277∈μg/kg. Total mono- to hepta-brominated diphenyl ether homologue concentrations (1140 and 1169∈μg/kg dry wt.) in soils near dumping sites were approximately 10-60 times those reported for other polybrominated diphenyl ether-contaminated locations in the world. In-house study on the open burning of cable wires showed extremely high levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans resulting in 12419∈ng toxic equivalents (TEQ)/kg of waste input and 15∈610∈ng TEQ/kg for two separate tests, respectively, which were about three orders of magnitude higher than those for the open burning of household waste. High levels of Cu (712, 528, and 496∈mg/kg), exceeding the new Dutch list action value, were determined for soil near the printer roller dumping area, sediment from Lianjiang River, and soil from a plastic burn site, respectively. A more thorough study is underway to elucidate the extent of contamination of toxic pollutants in different ecological compartments to establish whether these pollutants are bioaccumulated and biomagnified through food chains. Assessments of human health impacts from oral intake, inhalation, and dermal contact will be subsequently investigated.
KW - E-waste
KW - Heavy metals
KW - PAHs
KW - PBDEs
KW - PCBs
KW - PCDD/Fs
UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-006-0002-y
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33645137202&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10163-005-0141-6
DO - 10.1007/s10163-005-0141-6
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:33645137202
SN - 1438-4957
VL - 8
SP - 21
EP - 33
JO - Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management
JF - Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management
IS - 1
ER -