title: Pollution distribution of heavy metals in surface soil at an informal electronic-waste recycling site.
abstract: We studied distribution of heavy metals [lead (Pb), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn)] in surface soil at an electronic-waste (e-waste) recycling workshop near Metro Manila in the Philippines to evaluate the pollution size (spot size, small area or the entire workshop), as well as to assess heavy metal transport into the surrounding soil environment. On-site length-of-stride-scale (~70 cm) measurements were performed at each surface soil point using field-portable X-ray fluorescence (FP-XRF). The surface soil at the e-waste recycling workshop was polluted with Cu, Zn and Pb, which were distributed discretely in surface soil. The site was divided into five areas based on the distance from an entrance gate (y-axis) of the e-waste recycling workshop. The three heavy metals showed similar concentration gradients in the y-axis direction. Zn, Pb and Cu concentrations were estimated to decrease to half of their maximum concentrations at ~3, 7 and 7 m from the pollution spot, respectively, inside the informal e-waste recycling workshop. Distance from an entrance may play an important role in heavy metal transport at the soil surface. Using on-site FP-XRF, we evaluated the metal ratio to characterise pollution features of the solid surface. Variability analysis of heavy metals revealed vanishing surficial autocorrelation over metre ranges. Also, the possibility of concentration prediction at unmeasured points using geostatistical kriging was evaluated, and heavy metals had a relative "small" pollution scales and remained inside the original workshop compared with toxic organohalogen compounds. Thus, exposure to heavy metals may directly influence the health of e-waste workers at the original site rather than the surrounding habitat and environmental media.
authors: Center for Material Cycles and Waste Management Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan, fujimori.takashi.3e@kyoto-u.ac.jp.
authors: Takashi
authors: T
authors: Fujimori
authors: Hidetaka
authors: H
authors: Takigami
mesh_terms: D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis; D059029:Electronic Waste; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D010679:Philippines; D059027:Recycling; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D062206:Spatial Analysis; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D007854:Lead; D003300:Copper; D015032:Zinc
references: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007 Jan 16;104(3):864-9
references: 17215353
references: Environ Geochem Health. 2008 Feb;30(1):45-52
references: 17610027
references: J Hazard Mater. 2012 Jun 30;221-222:139-46
references: 22542777
references: J Environ Monit. 2011 Apr;13(4):836-43
references: 21344070
references: Environ Sci Technol. 2008 Jun 1;42(11):4222-8
references: 18589991
references: Environ Sci Technol. 2004 Dec 15;38(24):6824-31
references: 15669345
references: Chemosphere. 2009 Jun;76(1):9-15
references: 19345395
references: Environ Health Perspect. 2011 Apr;119(4):431-8
references: 21081302
references: Environ Geochem Health. 2010 Jun;32(3):207-16
references: 19768558
references: J Hazard Mater. 2009 Nov 15;171(1-3):1168-71
references: 19595504
references: J Environ Monit. 2010 Sep;12(9):1722-9
references: 20601988
references: Sci Total Environ. 2012 May 1;424:63-73
references: 22446112
references: Chemosphere. 2009 Jun;76(2):270-7
references: 19361833
references: Environ Pollut. 2007 Sep;149(2):131-40
references: 17412468
references: Environ Pollut. 2012 Apr;163:32-9
references: 22325428
references: Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 2011 Jul;61(1):101-14
references: 20811881
references: Waste Manag Res. 2011 Jul;29(7):727-38
references: 21406506
references: J Hazard Mater. 2001 May 7;83(1-2):93-122
references: 11267748
references: J Hazard Mater. 2010 Jan 15;173(1-3):653-60
references: 19783093
references: Environ Health Perspect. 2007 Jul;115(7):1113-7
references: 17637931