Evaluation of Dioxin-like Activities in Settled House Dust from Vietnamese E-Waste Recycling Sites: Relevance of Polychlorinated/Brominated Dibenzo-p-Dioxin/Furans and Dioxin-like PCRs

摘要

Few studies have investigated the human exposure to the ensemble of dioxin-related compounds (DRCs) released from uncontrolled e-waste recycling, especially from a toxic effect standpoint This study evaluated the TCDD toxic equivalents (TEQs) in persistent extracts of settled house dust from two Vietnamese e-waste recycling sites (EWRSs) using the Dioxin-Responsive Chemically Activated LUciferase gene expression assay (DR-CALUX), combined with chemical analysis of PCDD/Fs, DL-PCBs, PBDD/Fs, and monobromo PCDD/Fs to determine their TEQ contribution. The CALUX-TEQ levels in house dust ranged from 370 to 1000 pg g~(-1) in the EWRSs, approximately 3.5-fold higher than in the urban control site. In EWRS house dust, the concentrations of the unregulated PBDFs were 7.7-63 ng g~(-1) an order of magnitude higher than those of regulated DRCs (PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs). and PBDFs were also principal CALUX-TEQ contributors (4.2-22%), comparable to PCDD/Fs (8.1 -29%). The CALUX-TEQ contribution of DRCs varied, possibly depending on thermal processing activities (higher PCDD/F-TEQs) and PBDE content in the waste (higher PBDF-TEQs). However, the percentage of unknown dioxin-like activities was high in all dust samples, indicating large contribution from unidentified DRCs and/or synergy among contaminants. Estimates of TEQ intake from dust ingestion suggest that children in the EWRSs may be adversely affected by DRCs from dust