Legacies and health risks of heavy metals, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and polychlorinated dibenzo-dioxins/furans at e-waste recycling sites in South China

Highlights

● Heavy metals and organic toxins may persist in legacy sites for a long time.

● Contaminants pose potential harms to the nearby community (HI > 1).

● PCDD/Fs had the risk of endocrine disruption and reproductive risk.

● Further intervention is needed to reduce pollution and related risks.

Abstract

Informal electronic-waste (e-waste) recycling sites pose substantial health risks to surrounding environments and populations, yet they are not properly regulated. In this study, the soil levels of copper, lead, cadmium, eight polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and 18 polychlorinated dibenzo-dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs) were measured at two e-waste recycling sites in South China between 2014 and 2019. Both sites have been abandoned for natural restoration. Our results indicate that the mean Cd and PCDD/F levels at Site A in 2019 were higher than those recommended by current safety guidelines. Meanwhile, the highest exposure among children was 1.36 × 10⁻² mg/(kg·d) for Cu, followed by 5.05 × 10⁻³ mg/(kg·d) for Pb, 9.71 ng/(kg·d) for PBDEs, and 6.82 ng TEQ/(kg·d) for PCDD/Fs. Children were at elevated risk for health problem posed by Pb and Cu exposure at both sites (hazard quotient > 1) and by PCDD/Fs at Site A. Further risk assessment was conducted on the target organs and endpoints of heavy metals and PCDD/Fs. The hazard index (HI) for the target organ mixed-risk of heavy metals was high (HI = 1.27), as was that of PCDD/Fs (HI = 1.66), which can disrupt endocrine function and pose a risk of reproductive toxicity in children. Owing to incomplete cleaning, contaminants persist in soils over long periods and may harm nearby environments and communities. Our study demonstrates that heavy metal, PBDE, and PCDD/F contamination have not yet been remediated, and intervention is needed to reduce pollution and associated risks in areas affected by e-waste.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

E-waste / Human health risk / Organ risk / Heavy metal toxicity / PBDE / PCDD/F

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (Nos. 2018YFC1800304 and 2019YFC1805504).

Electronic Supplementary Material

Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-023-1679-z and is accessible for authorized users.

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