Exposure to PCBs, through inhalation, dermal contact and dust ingestion at Taizhou, China – A major site for recycling transformers

Xing, Guan Hua; Liang, Ying; Chen, Ling Xuan; Wu, Sheng; Wong, Ming Hung

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2010.12.018

Cited by 78 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 37 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…An invitro skin study showed PCBs not to penetrate skin (Schmid et al 1992), while in an earlier study (Lees et al 1987), biological monitoring of workers performing capacitor repairs with PCBs showed extensive dermal PCB exposures. PCB exposures have recently been determined among transformer repair and salvage workers in China, and again showed significant dermal PCB exposures (Xing et al 2011). Based on the occupational studies, we decided that both routes of exposuresdermal and inhalation-were equally important.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Historical reconstruction of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposures for workers in a capacitor manufacturing plant

Hopf

Ruder

Waters

2013

Environ Sci Pollut Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We developed a semiquantitative job exposure matrix (JEM) for workers exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at a capacitor manufacturing plant from 1946 to 1977. In a recently updated mortality study, mortality of prostate and stomach cancer increased with increasing levels of cumulative exposure estimated with this JEM (trend p values=0.003 and 0.04, respectively). Capacitor manufacturing began with winding bales of foil and paper film, which were placed in a metal capacitor box (pre-assembly), and placed in a vacuum chamber for floodfilling (impregnation) with dielectric fluid (PCBs). Capacitors dripping with PCB residues were then transported to sealing stations where ports were soldered shut before degreasing, leak testing, and painting. Using a systematic approach, all 509 unique jobs identified in the work histories were rated by predetermined process-and plant-specific exposure determinants; then categorized based on the jobs' similarities (combination of exposure determinants) into 35 job exposure categories. The job exposure categories were ranked followed by a qualitative PCB exposure rating (baseline, low, medium, and high) for inhalation and dermal intensity. Category differences in other chemical exposures (solvents, etc.) prevented further combining of categories. The mean of all available PCB concentrations (1975 and 1977) for jobs within each intensity rating was regarded as a representative value for that intensity level. Inhalation (in microgram per cubic milligram) and dermal (unitless) exposures were regarded as equally important. Intensity was (1975)(1976)(1977). Such interpolations, extrapolations, and modifying factors may introduce non-differential misclassification; however, we do believe our rigorous method minimized misclassification, as shown by the significant exposure-response trends in the epidemiologic analysis. HHS Public Access

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Historical reconstruction of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposures for workers in a capacitor manufacturing plant

Hopf

Ruder

Waters

2013

Environ Sci Pollut Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…As a result, concentrations and profiles of PCBs have been investigated in several scenarios, such as incinerators Thacker et al, 2013), contaminated soils (Kalinovich et al, 2008), coke plants (Liu et al, 2013), landfill stations (Persson et al, 2005), E-waste recycling areas (Ma et al, 2009;Xing et al, 2011), dust storm episode (Chi et al, 2008) and iron ore sintering plants (Aries et al, 2006;. PCBs were widely used as dielectric and coolant fluids in capacitors and old capacitors are thought to be a major legacy source of PCBs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

China action of “Cleanup Plan for Polychlorinated Biphenyls Burial Sites”: Emissions during excavation and thermal desorption of a capacitor-burial site

Yang

Zhou

Xue

et al. 2013

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…During the summertime, the air masses from the south generally passed by Taizhou before reaching Ningbo site. Taizhou is a major e-waste recycling site located at the YRD region, and characterized by a high PCBs level in the atmosphere due to improper disposal of electronic waste in which tri-CBs and tetra-CBs dominated (Xing et al, 2011). Since tri-CBs are more degradable than tetra-CBs, chemical composition of PCBs at NAEO could be dominated by high proportion of tetra-CBs.…”

Section: Pcbsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organochlorinated Compounds in the Air at NAEO, an Eastern Background Site in China: Long-Range Atmospheric Transport versus Local Sources

Liu

Yue

et al. 2014

Aerosol Air Qual. Res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Gas and particle samples were collected by a high-volume sampler from July 2009 to March 2010 at an eastern regional background site in Ningbo and analyzed for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). The total (gas + particle) air concentrations of 11 OCPs ranged from 5.34 to 417 pg/m 3 , of which HCHs, DDTs, chlordane and HCB concentrations ranged from 0.67 to 214 pg/m . Similar seasonal trends of HCH, DDT, chlordane, HCB concentrations were observed with the winter maximum. Diagnostic ratios indicate that aged technical HCH, DDT and chlordane were the major source of HCHs, DDTs and chlordane, respectively. PSCF analysis identified that northern China, southern China and Japan were major source regions of OCPs at Ningbo background site. As for PCBs, the seasonal trend was characterized with higher concentrations in summer. Those compounds were mainly influenced by the sources nearby and soil volatilization.

show abstract

Exposure to PCBs, through inhalation, dermal contact and dust ingestion at Taizhou, China – A major site for recycling transformers

Cited by 78 publications

References 37 publications

Historical reconstruction of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposures for workers in a capacitor manufacturing plant

Historical reconstruction of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposures for workers in a capacitor manufacturing plant

China action of “Cleanup Plan for Polychlorinated Biphenyls Burial Sites”: Emissions during excavation and thermal desorption of a capacitor-burial site

Organochlorinated Compounds in the Air at NAEO, an Eastern Background Site in China: Long-Range Atmospheric Transport versus Local Sources

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About