Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and heavy metals in road dusts from a plastic waste recycling area in north China: implications for human health.
Road dusts were collected from an area where intense mechanical recycling of plastic wastes occurs in Wen'an, north China. These dusts were investigated for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and heavy metals contamination to assess the health risk related to these components. Decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) and Σ21PBDE concentrations in these dusts ranged from 2.67 to 10,424 ng g(-1) and from 3.23 to 10,640 ng g(-1), respectively. These PBDE concentrations were comparable to those observed in road dust from e-waste recycling areas but were 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than concentrations in outdoor or road dusts from other areas. This indicates that road dusts in the study area have high levels of PBDE pollution. BDE-209 was the predominant congener, accounting for 86.3% of the total PBDE content in dusts. Thus, commercial deca-BDE products were the dominant source. The average concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, Sb, and Zn in these same dust samples were 10.1, 0.495, 112, 54.7, 0.150, 71.8, 10.6, and 186 mg kg(-1), respectively. The geoaccumulation index suggests that road dusts in this area are moderately to heavily polluted with Cd, Hg, and Sb. This study shows that plastic waste processing is a major source of toxic pollutants in road dusts in this area. Although the health risk from exposure to dust PBDEs was low, levels of some heavy metals in this dust exceeded acceptable risk levels for children and are of great concern.
MOE Key Laboratory of Regional Energy and Environmental Systems Optimization, Environmental Research Academy, North China Electric Power University, Beijing, 102206, China.|State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China.
Zhenwu
Z
Tang
State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China. huangqf@craes.org.cn.
Qifei
Q
Huang
State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China.
Yufei
Y
Yang
State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China.
Zhiqiang
Z
Nie
National Institute for Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100021, China. jlcheng77@163.com.
Jiali
J
Cheng
Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
Jun
J
Yang
MOE Key Laboratory of Regional Energy and Environmental Systems Optimization, Environmental Research Academy, North China Electric Power University, Beijing, 102206, China.
Yuwen
Y
Wang
MOE Key Laboratory of Regional Energy and Environmental Systems Optimization, Environmental Research Academy, North China Electric Power University, Beijing, 102206, China.
Miao
M
Chai
D002681:China; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D010969:Plastics / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D059027:Recycling
D004391:Dust; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D015386:Hazardous Substances; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D010969:Plastics
Health risks; Heavy metals; Plastic waste recycling; Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs); Road dust