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Determination of PBDEs in e-waste polymers from two solid waste landfills in Mexico

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Abstract

Solid waste disposal sites receive an increasing quantity of products with polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) from inadequate management of end of life products containing them. These chemicals are released in the landfill leachate and can represent a risk to health and the environment. In this study, concentration of eight PBDE congeners was analyzed in polymer samples from e-waste from two landfills in Mexico City (East and North). Total PBDE content ranged from non-detectable to 90.8 ± 1.9 µg/g in a total of 40 samples. An association with the use of the commercial mixtures was done. From these, and using official data of flows and composition of the wastes, a total flow of PBDEs into the landfills was estimated as 110.56 g PBDEs/day into the North side landfill (28 ha and 850 tons day−1 of solid waste) and 15,470 g PBDEs/day into the East side landfill (375 ha and 13,300 tons day−1 of solid waste until closure). These chemicals can contaminate underground water.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 3000, C.P. 04510, Del. Coyoacán, DF, Mexico

    Irma Gavilán-García

  2. Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Medio Ambiente y Desarrollo, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Calle 30 de Junio de 1520, Barrio la Laguna Ticomán, C.P. 07340, Del. Gustavo A. Madero, DF, Mexico

    Luis Raúl Tovar-Gálvez

  3. Instituto Nacional de Ecología y Cambio Climático, Periférico 5000, Col. Insurgentes-Cuicuilco, C.P. 04530, Del. Coyoacan, DF, Mexico

    Arturo Gavilán-García

  4. Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 3000, C.P. 04510, Del. Coyoacán, DF, Mexico

    Erick Beristain-Montiel & Omar Amador-Muñoz

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  1. Irma Gavilán-García
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  2. Luis Raúl Tovar-Gálvez
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  3. Erick Beristain-Montiel
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  4. Arturo Gavilán-García
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Correspondence to Irma Gavilán-García.

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Gavilán-García, I., Tovar-Gálvez, L.R., Beristain-Montiel, E. et al. Determination of PBDEs in e-waste polymers from two solid waste landfills in Mexico. Environ Earth Sci 75, 1341 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-6144-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-6144-x

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