Evidence of excessive releases of metals from primitive e-waste processing in Guiyu, China

Guiyu, China is infamous for its involvement in primitive e-waste processing and recycling activities. Freshwater samples were collected in and outside of Guiyu for dissolved metal analysis. It was found that dissolved metal concentrations were higher in Lianjiang and Nanyang River within Guiyu than...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental pollution (1987) 2007-07, Vol.148 (1), p.62-72
Main Authors: Wong, Coby S.C., Duzgoren-Aydin, Nurdan S., Aydin, Adnan, Wong, Ming Hung
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antimony - analysis
Applied sciences
Arsenic - analysis
Beryllium - analysis
Cadmium - analysis
China
Chromium - analysis
Cobalt - analysis
Continental surface waters
Copper - analysis
Dissolved metals
E-waste
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics
Environmental Monitoring - methods
Exact sciences and technology
Fresh Water
Freshwater
Guiyu
Hazardous Waste
Lead - analysis
Lithium - analysis
Metals, Heavy - analysis
Molybdenum - analysis
Natural water pollution
Nickel - analysis
Pollution
Pollution, environment geology
Refuse Disposal
River
Rivers
Selenium - analysis
Silver - analysis
Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis
Water Supply
Water treatment and pollution
Zinc - analysis
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Guiyu, China is infamous for its involvement in primitive e-waste processing and recycling activities. Freshwater samples were collected in and outside of Guiyu for dissolved metal analysis. It was found that dissolved metal concentrations were higher in Lianjiang and Nanyang River within Guiyu than the reservoir outside of Guiyu. Lianjiang was enriched with dissolved As, Cr, Li, Mo, Sb and Se, while Nanyang River had elevated dissolved Ag, Be, Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn. Temporal distributions of the metals suggested recent discharges of metals attributable to a strong acid leaching operation of e-waste, where dissolved Ag, Cd, Cu and Ni (0.344 ± 0.014, 0.547 ± 0.074, 87.6 ± 3.0 and 93.0 ± 1.4 μg/L, respectively) were significantly elevated. Pb isotopic composition of dissolved Pb confirmed that more than one non-indigenous Pb were present in Lianjiang and Nanyang River. In summary, it was evident that the riverine environment of Guiyu was heavily impacted by e-waste related activities. Proliferation of primitive e-waste processing activities significantly elevated levels of dissolved metals in the riverine environment of Guiyu.
ISSN:0269-7491
1873-6424
DOI:10.1016/j.envpol.2006.11.006