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Occurrence, distribution, and dechlorination of polychlorinated biphenyls and health risk assessment in Selangor River basin

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Abstract

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were monitored in surface water collected in the Selangor River basin, Malaysia, to identify the occurrence, distribution, and dechlorination process as well as to assess the potential adverse effects to the Malaysian population. Ten PCB homologs (i.e., mono-CBs to deca-CBs) were quantitated by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The total concentration of PCBs in the 10 sampling sites ranged from limit of detection to 7.67 ng L−1. The higher chlorinated biphenyls (tetra-CBs to deca-CBs) were almost not detected in most of the sampling sites, whereas lower chlorinated biphenyls (mono-CBs, di-CBs, and tri-CBs) dominated more than 90 % of the 10 homologs in all the sampling sites. Therefore, the PCB load was estimated to be negligible during the sampling period because PCBs have an extremely long half-life. The PCBs, particularly higher chlorinated biphenyls, could be thoroughly dechlorinated to mono-CBs to tri-CBs by microbial decomposition in sediment or could still be accumulated in the sediment. The lower chlorinated biphenyls, however, could be resuspended or desorbed from the sediment because they have faster desorption rates and higher solubility, compared to the higher chlorinated biphenyls. The health risk for the Malaysia population by PCB intake that was estimated from the local fish consumption (7.2 ng kg−1 bw day−1) and tap water consumption (1.5 × 10−3–3.1 × 10−3 ng kg−1 bw day−1) based on the detected PCB levels in the surface water was considered to be minimal. The hazard quotient based on the tolerable daily intake (20 ng kg−1 bw day−1) was estimated at 0.36.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by UM/MOE HIR Grant (E000005-20001) and United Nations University (Tokyo) program on environmental governance in East Asia. Additionally, this work was supported under the framework of “Research and Education Center for Risk Based Asian Oriented Integrated Watershed Management,” funded by the JSPS Asian CORE Program and Ministry of Education, Malaysia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 6158540, Japan

    Nobumitsu Sakai & Minoru Yoneda

  2. Shimadzu-UMMC Centre of Xenobiotic Studies, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Nobumitsu Sakai, Emmy Dayana & Mustafa Ali Mohd

  3. University of Malaya-Kyoto University Secretariat, Research Management and Innovation Complex (RMIC), University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Azizi Abu Bakar & Nik Meriam Nik Sulaiman

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  1. Nobumitsu Sakai
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Correspondence to Nobumitsu Sakai.

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Sakai, N., Dayana, E., Abu Bakar, A. et al. Occurrence, distribution, and dechlorination of polychlorinated biphenyls and health risk assessment in Selangor River basin. Environ Monit Assess 188, 592 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-016-5595-6

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