Hydrophobic Organic Pollutants in Soils and Dusts at Electronic Waste Recycling Sites: Occurrence and Possible Impacts of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 16; no. 3; p. 360
• Main Authors: Ohajinwa, Chimere May, Van Bodegom, Peter M, Xie, Qing, Chen, Jingwen, Vijver, Martina G, Osibanjo, Oladele O, Peijnenburg, Willie J G M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 28.01.2019; MDPI
• Subjects: Air pollution; Burning; Chemical industry; Congeners; Developing countries; Dismantling; Drinking water; Dust; Dust - analysis; Electronic equipment; Electronic waste; Electronic Waste - analysis; Emissions; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Ethers; Flame retardants; Food contamination; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers - analysis; Hazardous Substances - analysis; Hydrophobicity; Industrialized nations; LDCs; Manufacturing; Municipal wastes; Nigeria; Organic chemistry; Organic soils; Pollutants; Polybrominated diphenyl ethers; Recycling; Sediment pollution; Shopping centers; Soil - chemistry; Soil contamination; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soil pollution; Waste disposal; Waste disposal sites; Waste management; Water pollution; Nigeria; Aba Nigeria; United States > US; Asia; informal recycling; soil; Nigeria; dust; PBDEs; electronic waste
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16030360

Concerns about the adverse consequences of informal electronic waste (e-waste) recycling is increasing, because e-waste contains some hazardous substances such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) which is used as flame retardants in electronics. There is dearth of information on the concentrations of PBDEs and the pattern of distribution at the various e-waste recycling sites in Nigeria. This study therefore measured the concentrations of 13 PBDE congeners, in top soils (0⁻10 cm) and in various dust samples from different e-waste recycling sites (burning, dismantling, repair). PBDE concentrations at e-waste sites were compared with the concentrations in samples from corresponding control sites in three study locations in Nigeria (Lagos, Ibadan, and Aba). There were significant differences in the level of PBDEs congeners between each of the e-waste recycling sites and the corresponding control sites. The levels of PBDEs at the e-waste recycling sites exceeded the levels at the controls sites by a factor of 100 s to 1000 s. In general, PBDE concentrations at the e-waste sites decreased with the intensity of the e-waste recycling activities: burning sites > dismantling sites > repair sites > control sites. Our results suggest that the informal e-waste recycling has negative impacts on the enviroment and human health.