Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Africa: a review of environmental levels
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Africa: a review of environmental levels
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DOI：
10.1007/s11356-013-1739-1
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发表时间：
2014-05
影响因子：
5.8
通讯作者：
Rosalinda Gioia;A. Akindele;S. A. Adebusoye;K. Asante;S. Tanabe;A. Buekens;A. Sasco
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Rosalinda Gioia;A. Akindele;S. A. Adebusoye;K. Asante;S. Tanabe;A. Buekens;A. Sasco
几项研究表明，由于泄漏和错误处理变压器，从北方国家持续进口电子废物，沉船和生物质燃烧，非洲PCB来源增加。在废物回收中使用的技术，如熔化和露天焚烧以回收贵金属，使废物和其他半挥发性有机物质中所含的多氯联苯容易挥发，从而导致非洲若干地区空气、血液、母乳和鱼类中的多氯联苯水平增加。在没有适当保护措施的情况下从事这些活动的工人可能会对人体健康产生不利影响。最近在非洲进行的生物降解研究表明，在可作为碳源的同源物阵列和受攻击的同源物多样性方面，存在外来细菌菌株，表现出独特和不寻常的多氯联苯代谢能力，这标志着在开发有效的多氯联苯污染基质（如热带地区的沉积物和土壤）生物修复策略方面取得了相当大的进展。必须采取行动，找出并处理这些污染物在非洲的主要来源。应确定多氯联苯羽流的确切来源，并用于完成非洲国家的污染物清单。然后必须帮助这些国家安全处置潜在的危险化学品。
Several studies have shown an increase in PCB sources in Africa due to leakage and wrongly disposed transformers, continuing import of e-waste from countries of the North, shipwreck, and biomass burning. Techniques used in the recycling of waste such as melting and open burning to recover precious metals make PCBs contained in waste and other semivolatile organic substances prone to volatilization, which has resulted in an increase of PCB levels in air, blood, breast milk, and fish in several regions of Africa. Consequences for workers performing these activities without adequate measures of protection could result in adverse human health effects. Recent biodegradation studies in Africa have revealed the existence of exotic bacterial strains exhibiting unique and unusual PCB metabolic capability in terms of array of congeners that can serve as carbon source and diversity of congeners attacked, marking considerable progress in the development of effective bioremediation strategies for PCB-contaminated matrices such as sediments and soils in tropical regions. Action must be taken to find and deal with the major African sources of these pollutants. The precise sources of the PCB plume should be pinned down and used to complete the pollutant inventories of African countries. These nations must then be helped to safely dispose of the potentially dangerous chemicals.