-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: A total of 60 paired samples of earthworm, corresponding soil and wormcast were collected to investigate the bioaccumulation tendency of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in earthworms from a typical E-waste dismantling area in east China. Significant correlations were observed for the total concentrations among different matrix types except for PCDD/Fs in soil and earthworm. The bioaccumulation tendency showed some differences among the contaminants. Calculated biota-soil accumulation factors (BSAFs) indicated that PCBs and PBDEs had higher bioaccumulation potential compared to PCDD/Fs, which was somewhat different from laboratory studies. The plot of mean BSAFs versus log K(ow) values for PCBs and PBDEs was well fitted by a second-order polynomial with the maximum BSAF at approximately log K(ow) of 6.5. While for PCDD/Fs, only a slightly decreasing trend was observed with increasing log K(ow). Composition analysis indicated that tetra-, penta- and hexa-halogenated homologs had higher bioaccumulation levels, indicating that medium-halogenated congeners with log K(ow) around 6.5 are more easily accumulated by earthworms. Furthermore, the ratios of BDE-47/-99 and BDE-99/-100 showed some discrepancies with the technical products and other biotic species, suggesting different bioaccumulation potential of PBDEs in earthworm.
Environment international 02/2013; 54C:50-58. · 4.79 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The concentrations and geographical distribution of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) were investigated in 37 composite surface sediments from seven major river drainage basins in China, including Yangtze River, Yellow River, Pearl River, Liaohe River, Haihe River, Tarim River and Ertix River. The detection frequency of HBCD was 54%, with the concentrations ranged from below limit of detection (LOD) to 206 ng/g dry weight. In general, the geographical distribution showed increasing trends from the upper reaches to the lower reaches of the rivers and from North China to Southeast China. Compared to other regions in the world, the average concentration of HBCD in sediments from Yangtze River drainage basin was at relatively high level, whereas those from other six river drainage basins were at lower or similar level. The highest HBCD concentration in sediment from Yangtze River Delta and the highest detection frequency of HBCD in Pearl River drainage basins suggested that the industrial and urban activities could evidently affect the HBCD distribution. HBCD diastereoisomer profiles showed that gamma-HBCD dominated in most of the sediment samples, followed by alpha- and beta-HBCD, which was consistent with those in the commercial HBCD mixtures. Further risk assessment reflected that the average inventories of HBCD were 18.3, 5.87, 3.92, 2.50, 1.77 ng/cm2 in sediments from Pearl River, Haihe River, Tarim River, Yellow River and Yangtze River, respectively.
Journal of Environmental Sciences 01/2013; 25(1):69-76. · 1.66 Impact Factor
-
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: A total of 55 samples including soil, sediment, plants (cypress, reed and seepweed) and aquatic species were collected at locations around hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) manufacturing facilities in Laizhou Bay area, East China. HBCD was determined at concentrations ranging between 0.88 and 6901 ng g(-1) dry weight (dw), 2.93-1029 ng g(-1) dw, 8.88-160 241 ng g(-1) dw, and 7.09-815 ng g(-1) lipid weight (lw), respectively. Significant negative correlations (r(2) = 0.54, p = 0.006) were observed between HBCD concentrations in soils and the distance from the manufacturing facility, and the concentrations became constant when the distance was >4 km. The calculation results on the bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) suggested that HBCD may be accumulated in plants. Tissue-specific bioaccumulation of HBCD diastereoisomers was found in aquatic species. For example, in crabs the highest concentrations of HBCD (815 ng g(-1) lw for female and 446 ng g(-1) lw for male) were observed in the gill. Besides the gill, α-HBCD was more preferentially accumulated in the spermary and ovary, while β- and γ-HBCD were more accumulated in the muscle. A similar distribution was also observed in roe and muscle of goby fish.
Journal of Environmental Monitoring 08/2012; 14(10):2591-7. · 1.99 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The graphite electrode sludge was sampled from a huge chloralkali plant in central China. The total level of PCDD/F was found
as high as 378.85 μg/kg sludge (dry weight). The patterns of PCDD/F in each homologue indicated the predominance of tetra-to
octa-chlorinated PCDFs. Furthermore, the toxic 2,3,7,8-substituted PCDFs constituted over 80% of the total PCDFs in the sludge
and the corresponding PCDDs were only at 15 μg/kg level. The calculated value of the international toxic equivalence (I-TEQ)
in sludge was 21.65 μg/kg sludge (dry weight). This typical “dioxin chloralkali pattern” was apparently identified in the
sediments near the effluent outlet of the chloralkali plant.
Chinese Science Bulletin 04/2012; 45(16):1471-1476. · 1.32 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) are possibly persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and are candidate POPs of the
Stockholm Convention. In this study, three quantitative methods for analyzing CPs were compared using a gas chromatograph-electron
capture detector (GC-ECD), gas chromatograph-electron capture negative ion low resolution mass spectrometry (GC-ECNI-LRMS)
and gas chromatograph-electron ionization tandem mass spectrometry (GC-EI-MS2). A quantitative method for the analysis of total CPs in soil samples was established. The environmental levels of CPs in
an e-waste dismantling area in China were evaluated.
Keywordschlorinated paraffins-short chain chlorinated paraffins-e-waste dismantling areas
Chinese Science Bulletin 04/2012; 55(22):2396-2402. · 1.32 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Lung cancer incidence in Xuanwei and Fuyuan is extremely high. The air pollution, especially indoor airborne PAHs generated
by burning smoky coals, has been considered as the most probable reason. The air pollution may affect drinking water and soil
through dry and wet deposition. In this study, the concentrations of PAHs in water and soil samples from Xuanwei and Fuyuan
were monitored to investigate the influence of atmospheric PAHs pollution on water and soil. No obvious PAHs pollution in
water was found in these two areas, indicating that airborne PAHs have no apparent effect on the drinking water (well water).
The smoky coal combustion from household and industry, such as the activities related to power plants, coking plants and chemical
industries, is responsible for the soil PAHs pollution in these two areas. The soil pollution might be the reemission source
and would pose long-term threat to the local environment and health of residents.
Chinese Science Bulletin 04/2012; 54(19):3528-3535. · 1.32 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Primitive e-waste dismantling activities have been of increasing concern due to serious environmental and human health problems, and therefore authorities in China have strengthened the regulations on illegal e-waste recycling activities. In this work, we used rice hull as a passive sampler and investigated temporal trends of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in areas near e-waste recycling sites after the stricter regulations. Furthermore, the distribution patterns and composition profiles of these contaminants were also discussed. The average concentrations of the three groups of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in rice hulls have markedly decreased during the period of 2005-2009. Specifically, from 12.9 (average value in 2005) to 0.37 pg WHO-TEQ/g (dry weight, dw) (in 2009) for PCDD/Fs, 47.6 (2005) to 7.10 ng g(-1)dw (2009) for PCBs, and 2.51 (2005) to 0.89 ng g(-1), dw (2009) for PBDEs. The significant decrease of combustion markers 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF, 1,2,3,6,7,8HxCDF and PCB126, and the PCDD/PCDF ratio from 1:9 (2005) to 7:3 (2009) is likely a result of stricter regulations on open combustion activities. This study suggests that stricter control measures, strengthened laws and regulations and more environmental friendly techniques could be effective measures in reducing the release and formation of related POPs in typical e-waste dismantling sites, and these measures could further improve the quality of the environment and health of the local inhabitants.
Chemosphere 04/2012; 88(3):330-5. · 3.21 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Surface soils were collected in Balang Mountain to explore the environmental process of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) during air transport. The average concentrations of ∑(25)PCBs and ∑(13)PBDEs in soils were 163 pg/g and 26 pg/g, respectively. The significant correlations between the concentrations of pollutants and total organic carbon (TOC) indicated the importance of TOC in accumulation potential of POPs. The slopes from fitted curves of PCBs were highly related with logK(oa), demonstrating that TOC dominates the soil-air exchange of PCBs. The TOC-normalized concentrations of contaminants in samples from below-treeline were higher than those from alpine meadow, probably due to the forest filter effect. The increasing trends of the concentrations with altitude from the alpine meadow samples, could be attributed to the mountain cold-trapping effect. And the weak cold-trapping effect of POPs might be due to the less precipitation in 2008 when comparing with those in 2006.
Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex: 1987) 02/2012; 161:101-6. · 3.43 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The spatial concentrations, seasonal trends, profiles and congener pairs of ambient polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) were investigated within a seasonally active sampling scheme during Jun 2008 and Jan 2009 in Tianjin City, northern China. The PCDD/F concentrations ranged 14.2-172 fg I-TEQ/m3 (average 69.3 fg I-TEQ/m3) in summer and (89.8-1.01) x 10(3) fg I-TEQ/m3 (average 509 fg I-TEQ/m3) in winter, respectively, except for the E-waste dismantling site where much higher values were observed (1.04 x 10(3) fg I-TEQ/m3 in summer and 7.123 x 10(3) fg I-TEQ/m3 in winter). The results indicated a significantly seasonal trend with higher TEQ values in winter as compared with summer, which could be related to increased emission sources and seasonal variations of the atmospheric boundary layer height. 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF was the dominant contributor to the total PCDD/F toxic equivalents, and 2,3,7,8-TCDD was detected at almost all the sampling sites in winter. Most of the similarly substituted PCDD/F congener pairs exhibited high correlations, suggesting that they might have similar environmental fate or sources. But different seasonal and spatial distributions of PCDD/F concentrations indicated that the emission sources might be intermittent.
Journal of Environmental Sciences 01/2012; 24(11):1966-71. · 1.66 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The concern about emissions of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) from steel industrial parks has increased in the past decades. In this study, polyurethane foam (PUF)-disk based passive air samples were collected in and around a big steel industrial park of Anshan, Northeast China from June 2008 to March 2009. The levels, seasonal variations and potential sources of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PBDEs in the atmosphere around the steel industrial complex were investigated, and potential contribution of these three groups of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from iron and steel production was also assessed. The air concentrations of ∑(17)PCDD/Fs (summer: 0.02-2.77 pg m(-3); winter: 0.20-9.79 pg m(-3)), ∑(19)PCBs (summer: 23.5-155.8 pg m(-3); winter: 14.6-81.3 pg m(-3)) and ∑(13)PBDEs (summer: 2.91-10.7 pg m(-3); winter: 1.10-3.89 pg m(-3)) in this targeted industrial park were relatively low in comparison to other studies, which implied that the industrial activities of iron and steel had not resulted in serious contamination to the ambient air in this area. On the whole, the air concentrations of PCDD/Fs in winter were higher than those of summer, whereas the concentrations of PCBs and PBDEs showed opposite trends. The result from principal component analysis indicated that coal combustion might be the main contributor of PCDD/F sources in this area.
Chemosphere 08/2011; 84(7):957-63. · 3.21 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: A total of 120 air samples were collected at three urban and one rural location in Beijing, China in the summers of 2007-2010, and before, during, and after the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games (BOG), in order to assess the effectiveness of long-term and short-term emission-control measures in reducing polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in the atmosphere. During the BOG (August, 2008), the PCDD/Fs concentrations decreased to an average value of 1150 fg m(-3) (63 fg I-TEQ m(-3)), which was reduced by approximately 70% from the average in 2007 and by 29% from that in July 2008, before the Olympic event began. Although 2009-2010 levels of PCDD/Fs were significantly higher than 2008, the overall temporal trend was decreasing for summer months during the sampling campaign period. The apparent half-lives of atmospheric PCDD/Fs were estimated to be 3.2-5.8 years by statistically regressing the logarithm PCDD/Fs concentrations versus the number of years passed since 2006. The air concentrations of total suspended particulates (TSP) during the BOG ranged between 135 and 183 μg m(-3), showing a 52% reduction from 2007 and 26% decrease from those prior to the Olympic event. No significant relationships were found between meteorological parameters (temperature, humidity, and wind speed) and PCDD/Fs or TSP during the BOG, whereas the PCDD/Fs concentrations were significantly dependent on the air quality (p < 0.05, positive against TSP and negative against visibility). This work is one of few temporal trend studies of atmospheric PCDD/Fs in mainland China, and provides unique insight into the effects of large-scale control measures in improving air quality and reducing one of the most ubiquitous and toxic organic pollutants in the environment.
Environmental Science & Technology 03/2011; 45(8):3304-9. · 4.80 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: High mountains may act as cold traps for globally transported persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and mercury (Hg). In the present study, 60 fish samples were collected from eight alpine lakes across the Tibetan Plateau. Concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), total mercury (HgT) and methyl mercury (MeHg) were quantified in the fish muscle tissues to improve the understanding of pollution status and factors regulating the transport and fate of these contaminants on the Plateau. The results showed that lake-averaged ∑(14)PBDEs concentration was between 0.09 ng g(-1) dw and 4.32 ng g(-1) dw, which was lower than those reported for European mountains. The total mercury concentration in individual fish ranged from 243 to 2384 ng g(-1) dw, and that of MeHg from 131 to 1,610 ng g(-1) dw, which is much higher than those reported in other mountain fish. The spatial variation of PBDEs and mercury in the Plateau is largely controlled by the specific meteorological patterns.
Chemosphere 03/2011; 83(6):862-7. · 3.21 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Fengjiang is a large e-waste dismantling site located in southeast China. In this paper, apple snail and soil samples were collected from this e-waste dismantling site and 25 vicinal towns to investigate the contamination status, spatial distributions and congener patterns of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Total PCB concentrations in apple snails (3.78-1812ngg(-1) dry weight (dw)) were significant higher than that in soil samples (0.48-90.1ngg(-1) dw). PBDE (excluding BDE 209) concentrations in apple snail and soil samples ranged from 0.09 to 27.7ngg(-1) dw and 0.06 to 31.2ngg(-1) dw, respectively. Concentrations of PCBs and PBDEs in snails and soils correlated negatively with the distance from Fengjiang. Both the concentrations and profiles of the pollutants were significantly correlated (p<0.05) between the snail and soil samples, indicating the suitability of apple snail as a reliable bioindicator for PCBs and PBDEs contamination in this region. Relatively high concentrations of PCBs and PBDEs at locations far from e-waste dismantling sites implied that these pollutants have been transported to surrounding regions.
Chemosphere 01/2011; 82(5):648-55. · 3.21 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Tissue distribution provides important information regarding the pharmacokinetic behavior of pollutants and is invaluable when analyzing the risk posed to avian species by the exposure to such kind of pollutants. In this study, concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) were determined in muscle, liver, spleen, kidney, stomach, gall bladder, skin, heart, pancreas, intestine and lung tissue extracts of cormorants collected from Dongting Lake, China. Tissue distribution results showed preferential accumulation of PCDD/Fs in both liver and skin. The total concentration of PCDD/Fs ranged from 421 to 5696 pg/g lipid weight. Octachlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (OCDD) was the predominant congener in all tissues and contributed between 31% and 82% to all 17 PCDD/Fs in different tissues. The liver/muscle ratios progressively increased with the degree of chlorination of PCDDs, except for OCDD. The relative toxic potential of PCDDs and PCDFs in tissues were calculated using the World Health Organization (WHO) Toxic Equivalency Factors (TEFs) for birds. The concentrations of WHO-toxic equivalent in different tissues ranged between 14.8 and 2021 pg/g lipid weight. These results indicated PCDD/Fs may have been bio-accumulated in cormorant via food-web. Furthermore, when compared with studies reported in the literatures, the PCDD/Fs levels in the cormorant collected from Dongting Lake were still relatively high.
Journal of Environmental Sciences 01/2011; 23(10):1709-13. · 1.66 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The impact of wastewater irrigation on the distribution of two groups of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), in farm soil was investigated in this study. The concentrations of total analyzed PCBs were in the range 256-2140pgg(-1) on dry weight basis in surface soils. There was a higher accumulation of PCBs in farms irrigated by wastewater, with decachlorobiphenyl (CB-209) as the predominant congener. The spatial distributions of PBDEs were similar although not as obvious as that of PCBs, and BDE-209 was the predominant congener at 2040-496000pgg(-1)dw, accounting for >96% of the total analyzed PBDEs. However, no significant correlations could be found between PCB and PBDE concentrations in the topsoil samples, and also with soil organic content between the different sites. On the other hand, soil vertical profiles showed significant relationship with soil organic content in cores taken from farms irrigated with wastewater. The vertical distribution was quite uniform at the topsoil, corresponding to the plowed layer, and decreased thereafter exponentially. Furthermore, the soil vertical distribution was found to be congener specific for PCBs, where less chlorinated congeners were able to penetrate deeper into the soil while heavier congeners were more restricted in their movement. This fractionation process was however not found for PBDEs. Also, the prevalence and high relative concentrations of CB-11 and CB-209 suggests that these PCB congeners should more often be included in routine environmental analysis in order to identifying unusual contamination sources.
Chemosphere 11/2010; 81(8):1045-51. · 3.21 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The indistinct origins of some ubiquitous perfluorinated alkyl acids have attracted great attention in recent decades. In this present work, even-chained polyfluorinated iodides (PFIs), a group of volatile perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), including four perfluorinated iodine alkanes (FIAs) and three polyfluorinated telomer iodides (FTIs) were confirmed to be present in the environment. A wide concentration range was found for FIAs at 1.41 to 3.08x10(4) pg/L, and for FTIs at 1.39 to 1.32x10(3) pg/L in the ambient air collected around a fluorochemical manufacturing plant in Shandong province, northern China. Whereas for surface soils, most of these PFIs were below detection limits and only small amounts of analytes with higher carbon chain (such as perfluorododecyl iodide and 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyl iodide, 16.6-499 pg/g) could be sporadically detected. The presence of the PFIs in different environmental matrices in the investigated area and calculated vapor pressures (0.095-20.4 Torr) verify that they can be considered as volatile organic chemicals and easily be released into the atmosphere. Together with reported degradation ability and long-range transport potential, the identification of these PFIs indicates that unintentional release during the telomer reaction process might also be another route for the formation and distribution of certain polyfluorinated alcohols, aldehydes, and carboxylic acid derivatives under oxidative conditions in the environment.
Environmental Science & Technology 08/2010; 44(15):5755-61. · 4.80 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: A novel gas chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry method coupled with multisorbent thermal desorption cartridges has been developed for the determination of volatile neutral polyfluorinated iodine alkanes (PFIs) in airborne samples. It allows, for the first time, simultaneous analysis of four mono-iodized perfluorinated alkanes, three diiodized perfluorinated alkanes and four mono-iodized polyfluorinated telomers in ambient air samples. 3.75 L air sample was passed through a sorbent tube packed with 150 mg of Tenax TA and 200mg of Carbograph 1 TD for analyte adsorption. Important factors during the analysis procedures, such as safe sampling volume, air sampling rate, analyte desorption and transfer strategies, were optimized and good thermal desorption efficiencies were obtained. The method detection limit (MDL) concentration ranged from 0.04 pg/L for 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorododecyl iodide to 1.2 pg/L for perfluorohexyl iodide, and instrument response of a seven-point calibration was linear in the range of 10-1000 pg. Travel spike recoveries ranged from 83% to 116%. Small variabilities of less than 36% were obtained near the MDLs and the differences between triplicates were even smaller (2.1-7.3%) at 200 pg spiked level. The method was successfully applied to analyze ambient air samples collected near a point source, and five PFIs were identified (10.8-85.0 pg/L), with none of the analytes detectable at the background site.
Journal of chromatography. A 06/2010; 1217(26):4439-47. · 4.19 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: A method for the determination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in ambient air using high volume sampling and high resolution gas chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS) was developed. The results indicated that no breakthrough happened during the sampling procedure. The recoveries of 13C labelled compound standards of PCBs and PBDEs were in the ranges of 60.7%-121.4% and 69.9%-140.4%, respectively, which were qualified by the corresponding EPA methods. The limits of detection (LODs) of PCBs and PBDEs in real samples were lower than 0.019 pg/m3 and 0.189 pg/m3, respectively. The chromatograms of PCBs and PBDEs show good performance in the separation. It is demonstrated that the method is suitable for the determination of PCBs and PBDEs in ambient air.
Se pu = Chinese journal of chromatography / Zhongguo hua xue hui 05/2010; 28(5):449-55.
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Three commonly applied extraction techniques for persistent organic chemicals, Soxhlet extraction (SE), accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), were applied on soil and fish samples in order to evaluate their performances. For both PCBs and PBDEs, the two more recent developed techniques (ASE and MAE) were in general capable of producing comparable extraction results as the classical SE, and even higher extraction recoveries were obtained for some PCB congeners with large octanol-water partitioning coefficients (K(ow)). This relatively uniform extraction results from ASE and MAE indicated that elevated temperature and pressure are favorable to the efficient extraction of PCBs from the solid matrices. For PBDEs, difference between the results from MAE and ASE (or SE) suggests that the MAE extraction condition needs to be carefully optimized according to the characteristics of the matrix and analyte to avoid degradation of higher brominated BDE congeners and improve the extraction yields.
Analytica chimica acta 03/2010; 663(1):43-8. · 4.31 Impact Factor
