Trends of Polychlorinated Compounds in the Surroundings of a Municipal Solid Waste Incinerator in Mataró (Catalonia, Spain): Assessing Health Risks.

Martí Nadal,Montse Mari,Joaquim Rovira,Montse Marquès,José L Domingo

doi:10.3390/toxics8040111

Abstract

Since 2008, the environmental levels of polychlorinated compounds near a municipal solid waste incinerator in Mataró (Catalonia, Spain) have been periodically monitored. The present study aimed at updating the data regarding the temporal changes occurred between 2015 and 2017, when air and soil samples were collected again, and the concentrations of the same chemical pollutants (i.e., polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)) were analysed. Furthermore, the health risks associated with their human exposure were also evaluated. The levels of all the contaminants in soil were far below the threshold established by regional and national legislations, also being lower than those observed in previous surveys. A similar trend was also noted for PCDD/Fs in air samples, while airborne PCBs were the only group of chemicals whose levels significantly increased. In any case, the global assessment of the data regarding the different pollutants and matrices indicates that there has not been a general increase in the environmental pollution around the facility. In addition, the environmental exposure to PCDD/Fs and PCBs by the population living nearby is still clearly lower than the dietary intake of these same chemical pollutants.

Highlights

In the past, waste incineration was considered one of the most significant emission sources of a wide range of chemical pollutants [1,2]
In 2015, the mean concentration of PCDD/Fs in nine soil samples collected in different points and distances from the municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) of Mataró was 0.23 ± 0.10 ng WHO-TEQ/kg, ranging from 0.14 to
No differences were found when evaluating the spatial pattern of PCDD/Fs pollution, with the closest sampling sites (MSWI) presenting an even lower concentration than that found in the background site (Arenys de Mar): 0.13 vs. 0.14 ng WHO-kg

Summary

Introduction

Waste incineration was considered one of the most significant emission sources of a wide range of chemical pollutants [1,2]. These facilities were linked with the release of toxic and carcinogenic substances, such as heavy metals, but especially with the emission of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) [3]. Coudon et al [7] recently published an inventory indicating that, in France, the emissions of PCDD/Fs from waste incineration decreased by 99.5% between 1990 and 2008. This sector was the main contributor, meaning

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Results

Conclusion