Dechlorane Plus in human hair from an e-waste recycling area in South China: comparison with dust

Environ Sci Technol. 2010 Dec 15;44(24):9298-303. doi: 10.1021/es103105x. Epub 2010 Nov 24.

Abstract

Dechlorane Plus (DP) and a dechlorination product, 1,6,7,8,9,14,15,16,17,17,18-octadeca-7,15-diene (anti-Cl(11)-DP), were measured in human hair and indoor dust collected from an e-waste recycling area and two control areas (rural and urban) in South China. DP was detected in hair and dust samples at concentrations ranging from 0.02-58.32 ng/g and 2.78-4197 ng/g, respectively. anti-Cl(11)-DP, mainly detected in human hair and dust samples from the e-waste recycling area, ranged from nd (nondetected) to 0.23 ng/g in hair and from nd to 20.22 ng/g in dust. Average values of anti-DP fractional abundance (f(anti) ratio) in hair of e-waste dismantling workers (0.55 ± 0.11) and dust from e-waste recycling workshops (0.54 ± 0.15) were significantly lower than those in other groups (0.62-0.76 means for hair and 0.66-0.76 means for dust). Significantly positive correlation between DP concentrations in dust and hair and similarity in f(anti) ratios between hair and dust suggest that ingestion of dust comprise one of the major routes for DP exposure. Significantly positive relationships were also observed between anti-Cl(11)-DP and anti-DP for both hair and dust samples with similar regression line slopes. The ratios of anti-Cl(11)-DP to anti-DP between hair and dust show no significant difference. These results suggest that anti-Cl(11)-DP in the human body is likely accumulated from the environmental matrix and not formed from biotransformation of the parent DP.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • China
  • Dust / analysis*
  • Electronic Waste / analysis*
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Environmental Pollutants / analysis
  • Environmental Pollutants / metabolism*
  • Flame Retardants / analysis
  • Flame Retardants / metabolism*
  • Hair / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / analysis
  • Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / metabolism*
  • Polycyclic Compounds / analysis
  • Polycyclic Compounds / metabolism*
  • Recycling
  • Waste Management

Substances

  • Dust
  • Environmental Pollutants
  • Flame Retardants
  • Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated
  • Polycyclic Compounds
  • dechlorane plus