Temporal trends and congener profiles of PCBs, PCDD/Fs and PBDEs in umbilical cord blood from an e-waste recycling area

The environmental pollution and health impacts from the crude e-waste recycling have attracted global attention. Guiyu is a major crude e-waste recycling area in southeast China. In this study, the levels of PCBs, PCDD/Fs and... [ view full abstract ]

The environmental pollution and health impacts from the crude e-waste recycling have attracted global attention. Guiyu is a major crude e-waste recycling area in southeast China. In this study, the levels of PCBs, PCDD/Fs and PBDEs in umbilical cord blood of Guiyu (exposed group) and Haojiang (reference group) from 2007 to 2012 were determined by isotope dilution high resolution gas chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS) to investigate the effect of e-waste activities on maternal and newborns. The annual average levels of PCBs, PCDD/Fs and PBDEs in umbilical cord blood from Guiyu were significantly higher than those from reference areas of Haojiang. The main congeners in the e-waste exposed group were PCB-138, 153, 180, 28 and 118 ; PBDE-153, 47, 183, 28 and 154; and OCDD, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9-HpCDF, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8-HpCDD and 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8-HpCDF. The concentrations of PCDD/Fs, DL-PCBs and TEQ∑PCDD/Fs increased sharply at the year of 2007 to 2009, then remained at a constant level during the year of 2010 to 2012, while marker-PCB, PBDE, ΣTEQPCB, and∑PCDD/F+DL-PCB levels rose up at first three years, and falling rapidly during the year of 2011 and 2012. Results show that Guiyu newborns have higher POP levels in their cord blood, and POP levels vary with the opening and closing of local workshops. Centralized recycling pattern and strengthen managements for crude e-waste recycling might control the increasing of POPs, but POPs are difficult to degrade and eliminate from human body.