Forty years studies on polychlorinated biphenyls pollution, food safety, health risk, and human health in an e-waste recycling area from Taizhou city, China: a review

Abstract

E-waste generation has become a serious environmental challenge worldwide. Taizhou of Zhejiang Province, situated on the southeast coastline of China, has been one of the major e-waste dismantling areas in China for the last 40 years. In this review, we focused on the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) trends in environmental compartments, burden and impact to humans, food safety, and health risk assessment from Taizhou, China. The review suggested that PCBs showed dynamic trends in air, soil, water, biodiversity, and sediments. Soils and fish samples indicated higher levels of PCBs than sediments, air, water, and food items. PCB levels decreased in soils with the passage of time. Agriculture soils near the e-waste recycling sites showed more levels of total PCBs than industrial soils and urban soils. Dioxin-like PCB levels were higher in humans near Taizhou, suggesting that e-waste pollution could influence humans. Compared with large-scale plants, simple household workshops contributed more pollution of PCBs to the environment. Pollution index, hazard quotient, and daily intake were higher for PCBs, suggesting Taizhou should be given priority to manage the e-waste pollution. The elevated body burden may have health implications for the next generation. The areas with stricter control measures, strengthened laws and regulations, and more environmentally friendly techniques indicated reduced levels of PCBs. For environment protection and health safety, proper e-waste dismantling techniques, environmentally sound management, awareness, and regular monitoring are very important.

Keywords: E-waste; Food safety; Forty years; Human impacts; PCBs; Risk assessment.