title: Concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and alternative flame retardants in surface soils and river sediments from an electronic waste-processing area in northern Vietnam, 2012-2014.
abstract: We investigated the concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and alternative flame retardants (FRs) in environmental samples collected in January 2012, 2013, and 2014 from an electronic waste-processing area in northern Vietnam. During the study period, PBDE and alternative FR concentrations in soils around the electronic waste-processing workshops ranged from 37 to 9200 ng g-1dry weight (dw) and from 35 to 24,000 ng g-1dw; the concentrations in soils around the open-burning sites ranged from 1.6 to 62 ng g-1dw and from <4 to 1900 ng g-1dw; and the concentrations in river sediments around the workshops ranged from 100 to 3800 ng g-1dw and from 23 to 6800 ng g-1dw, respectively. Over the course of study period, we observed significant decreases in concentrations of PBDEs and significant increases in concentrations of alternative FRs, particularly Dechlorane Plus isomers and oligomeric organophosphorus FRs (o-PFRs) in both soils and sediments around the workshops. We also report information on concentrations and environmental emissions of o-PFRs and their low-molecular-weight impurities in the same soils and sediments. The detection of o-PFR impurities around the workshops and the open-burning sites highlights an enhanced breakdown of o-PFRs probably due to weathering during open storage and high temperature attained during the burning of electronic wastes.
authors.affiliation: Center for Material Cycles and Waste Management Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan; Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa 277-8563, Japan. Electronic address: matsukami.hidenori@nies.go.jp.
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsukami
authors.affiliation: Center for Material Cycles and Waste Management Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan.
authors.forename: Go
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Center for Material Cycles and Waste Management Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan; Tokyo Metropolitan Research Institute for Environmental Protection, 1-7-5 Shinsuna Koto, Tokyo 136-0075, Japan.
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Someya
authors.affiliation: Center for Material Cycles and Waste Management Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan.
authors.forename: Natsuyo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.affiliation: Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan; Centre for Environmental Technology and Sustainable Development (CETASD), VNU Hanoi University of Science, 334 Nguyen Trai, Hanoi, Viet Nam.
authors.forename: Nguyen Minh
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Tue
authors.affiliation: Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan; Centre for Environmental Technology and Sustainable Development (CETASD), VNU Hanoi University of Science, 334 Nguyen Trai, Hanoi, Viet Nam.
authors.forename: Le Huu
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Tuyen
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Technology and Sustainable Development (CETASD), VNU Hanoi University of Science, 334 Nguyen Trai, Hanoi, Viet Nam.
authors.forename: Pham Hung
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Viet
authors.affiliation: Center of Advanced Technology for the Environment (CATE), Faculty of Agriculture, Ehime University, 3-5-7 Tarumi, Matsuyama 790-8566, Japan.
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanabe
authors.affiliation: Center for Material Cycles and Waste Management Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidetaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takigami
mesh_terms: D059029:Electronic Waste; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis*; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis*; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000032:analysis; D011083:Polycyclic Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D014744:Vietnam
chemical_list: D005411:Flame Retardants; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D011083:Polycyclic Compounds; D012989:Soil Pollutants; C526360:dechlorane plus
keywords: Alternative flame retardants; Electronic waste processing; PBDEs; River sediment; Surface soil; Vietnam