title: Human dietary intake of organohalogen contaminants at e-waste recycling sites in Eastern China.
abstract: This study reports concentrations and human dietary intake of hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as well as selected "novel" brominated flame retardants (NBFRs) and organochlorine pesticides, in ten staple food categories. Samples were sourced from areas in Taizhou City, eastern China, where rudimentary recycling and disposal of e-waste is commonplace, as well as from nearby non-e-waste impacted control areas. In most instances, concentrations in foods from e-waste recycling areas exceeded those from control locations. Concentrations of 2-ethylhexyl-2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (EH-TBB) and bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrabromophthalate (BEH-TBP) in samples from e-waste sites were 3.09-62.2ng/g and 0.81-16.3ng/g lipid weight (lw), respectively; exceeding consistently those in foods acquired from control sites by an order of magnitude in many cases. In contrast, while concentrations of HBCD in some foods from e-waste impacted areas exceed those from control locations; concentrations in pork, shrimp, and duck liver are higher in control samples. This highlights the potential significance of non-e-waste sources of HBCD (e.g. building insulation foam) in our study areas. While concentrations of DDT in all foods examined except pork were higher in e-waste impacted samples than controls; our exposure estimates were well below the provisional tolerable daily intake of 0.01mg/kgbw/day derived by the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues. Concentrations of ΣPCBs resulted in exposures (650 and 2340ng/kgbw/day for adults and children respectively) that exceed substantially the Minimal Risk Levels (MRLs) for ΣPCBs of 20ng/kgbw/day derived by the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. Moreover, when expressed in terms of dioxin-like toxicity equivalency based on the four dioxin-like PCBs monitored in this study (DL-PCBs) (PCB-105, 118, 156, and 167); concentrations in e-waste impacted foods exceed limits set by the European Union in 6 of the 8 food groups studied and result in dietary exposures for children (10.2pgTEQ/kgbw/day) that exceed the WHO tolerable daily intake of 1-4pgTEQ/kgbw/day.
authors.affiliation: Greenpeace Research Laboratories, Innovation Centre Phase 2, Rennes Drive, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4RN, United Kingdom; School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom. Electronic address: iryna.labunska@greenpeace.org.
authors.forename: Iryna
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Labunska
authors.affiliation: School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom; Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, 71526 Assiut, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mohamed Abou-Elwafa
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Abdallah
authors.affiliation: Toxicological Center, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Ethology group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Eulaers
authors.affiliation: Toxicological Center, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Covaci
authors.affiliation: School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: Greenpeace Research Laboratories, Innovation Centre Phase 2, Rennes Drive, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4RN, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Mengjiao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Greenpeace Research Laboratories, Innovation Centre Phase 2, Rennes Drive, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4RN, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Santillo
authors.affiliation: Greenpeace Research Laboratories, Innovation Centre Phase 2, Rennes Drive, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4RN, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.affiliation: School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harrad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002681:China; D004032:Diet; D004147:Dioxins / Q000032:analysis; D059029:Electronic Waste; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis; D005506:Food Contamination; D006801:Humans; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated / Q000032:analysis; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis; D059027:Recycling
chemical_list: D004147:Dioxins; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005411:Flame Retardants; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010575:Pesticides; C089796:hexabromocyclododecane; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
keywords: Hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs); Human dietary intake; Novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs); Organochlorine pesticides; Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); e-Waste recycling in China