Title: Soil pollution by chlorobenzenes and polychlorinated biphenyls from an electronic waste recycling area in Northern Vietnam

Authors: Chiya Nishimura; Go Suzuki; Hidenori Matsukami; Tetsuro Agusa; Masaki Takaoka; Shin Takahashi; Nguyen Minh Tue; Pham Hung Viet; Shinsuke Tanabe; Hidetaka Takigami; Takashi Fujimori

Addresses: Department of Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, 615-8540, Kyoto, Japan ' Center for Material Cycles and Waste Management Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan ' Center for Material Cycles and Waste Management Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan ' Graduate School of Environmental and Symbiotic Sciences, Prefectural University of Kumamoto, Tsukide, Higashi-ku, 862-8502, Kumamoto, Japan ' Department of Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, 615-8540, Kyoto, Japan ' Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan ' Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan ' Research Centre for Environmental Technology and Sustainable Development (CETASD), Hanoi University of Science, Vietnam National University, T3 Building, 334 Nguyen Trai Street, Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi, Vietnam ' Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan ' Deceased; formerly of: National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Japan ' Department of Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, 615-8540, Kyoto, Japan

Abstract: We investigated soil pollution by chlorobenzenes (CBzs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Bui Dau, a village in Vietnam known for informal electronic waste (e-waste) recycling activities. The total concentrations of CBzs and PCBs ranged from 17 to 1,400 ng/g and 2.0 to 7,200 ng/g, respectively, with the highest concentrations of the two compounds detected at e-waste open burning sites (EOBSs) in the survey area. The homologue profiles of CBzs and PCBs in the soils collected at the EOBSs were different from those in municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) fly ash. This result suggests that CBzs are formed from different processes during the open burning of e-waste and municipal solid waste incineration, even though both are combustion processes. The spatial distributions of CBzs and PCBs and the results of a multiple comparison test showed that these compounds were released from the EOBSs and spread around this survey area.

Keywords: chlorobenzenes; CBzs; polychlorinated biphenyls; PCBs; e-waste open burning; soil; Vietnam.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2018.097863

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2018 Vol.63 No.4, pp.283 - 297

Received: 08 Aug 2017
Accepted: 09 Jul 2018
Published online: 20 Feb 2019 *

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