Disposable Manner Research Articles

"Combating Money Laundering Crimes: International and National Perspectives in the United Arab Emirates"

The fight against money laundering crimes has received international and local attention in the country, due to the seriousness of the crime on the international and internal community, which undoubtedly has many negative effects in economic, social and political terms, and among the effects of money laundering crimes is the increase in crimes and corruption, threatening economic stability and weakening financial institutions. Through regulatory and legislative applications, we find the tireless efforts of the state in strengthening the legislative and regulatory system in combating money laundering crimes and the prominent role of the state at the international and national levels, and the UAE legislator has clarified that anyone who was aware that the funds were obtained from a felony or misdemeanor and deliberately transferred or transferred the proceeds or conducted any operation with the intention of concealing or disguising their illegal source, or concealed or disguised the truth of the proceeds, or their source, is considered a perpetrator of the crime of money laundering. or its place, manner of disposal, movement, ownership or rights thereof, or acquired, possessed or used the proceeds upon receipt, or assisted the perpetrator of the predicate crime to escape punishment.

Naked body disposal: an indicator of the type of sexual homicide

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate whether sexual homicide offenders (SHO) who dispose of the victim’s body naked present with particular crime scene characteristics.Design/methodology/approachThis study aims to answer this question through the use of a sequential logistic regression to test the individual effects of each set of crime scene variables against the manner of disposal using a sample of 662 solved cases of extrafamilial sexual homicide from an international database.FindingsResults demonstrated that the modus operandi behaviors of sexual penetration, asphyxiation, dismemberment and overkill were significantly associated with the body being disposed of naked. In addition, removing or destroying evidence from the scene was also significantly associated with a naked victim. In contrast, the body was more likely to be dumped clothed if the contact scene was deserted and the victim was a stranger. These results suggest that SHOs who dispose of the body naked are more in line with the sadistic sexual murderer, while clothed victims are often disposed of by angry offenders.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to examine the particular manner of disposing the victim’s body naked in cases of sexual homicide.

Plastic Pollution in Nigeria: The Need for Legislation to Tackle the Menace

Collection, disposal and management of plastic waste and polythene bags is a growing problem in Nigeria. The use of plastic/polythene bags made of thin plastic film has increased significantly in recent years. The manner of disposal of these items has resulted in the degradation of the natural environment. In Nigeria, lots of plastics are used on daily basis, of which most, if not all of them, are not properly disposed of. Some of these items end up in landfills, littering the environment, harming wildlife or blocking drainages, therefore, increasing the risk of flood. This paper examines the existing laws in relation to waste management in Nigeria and the inadequacies of the existing legislation in combating this phenomenon. The doctrinal method of research was used and it is recommended that there is a need for new legislation to be enacted for Nigeria to surmount the menace of plastic pollution.

Effect of Microbial Consortium for Nutrient Dynamics and Biological Activity of Paddy Field under insitu Decomposition

The production of rice and rice straw are directly proportional to each other and becomes a major problem in disposal of rice straw. Though there are many suitable methods in the reduction of rice straw few are bane to environment. Thus this study focuses only on the sustainable and ecofriendly manner of straw disposal. Insitu decomposition of rice stubbles using TNAU biomineralizer is the experimental study which was carried out in randomised block design with six Treatment and four replications. To determine the most effective methods of managing rice stubble, nutrient dynamics, and growth parameters of the rice crop, CO 53 variety of short duration was selected and laid down at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore from 2021 to 2022. The six treatments includes T1: Stubble (Natural degradation), T2: Stubble+ balancing C:N ratio with urea, T3: Stubble applied with TNAU biomineralizer @ 2kg /ton of residue, T4: Stubbles applied with TNAU biomineralizer @ 2kg/ton of residue +balancing C:N ratio with urea, T5: Stubbles incorporated in soil using rotavator and applied with TNAU biomineralizer @ 2kg/ton of residue, T6: Stubbles incorporated in soil using rotavator and applied with TNAU biomineralizer @ 2kg/ton of residue + balancing C:N ratio with urea. The study findings showed that incorporation of straw with addition of biomineralizer for decomposition of straw @ 2kg/ton of residue along with balancing C:N ratio urea recorded the highest rice crop growth at harvest stage (115.70cm) and nutrient dynamics (N, P K) of 20.9 %, 4.6 % and 19.2 % higher at tillering stage and micro nutrients Cu-22.0 %, Zn- 20.9 %, Fe- 2.8 %, Mn- 9.7 % in panicle initiation stage of rice crop.

Flexural Strength of Concrete Beam Produced with Scrap Rubber Tyres as Partial Replacement for Coarse Aggregates

The quantities of waste generation in Nigeria have increased significantly; posing greater risk to public health owing to indecent manner of disposal. Some solid wastes had been recycled; however, studies on scrap rubber tyre have not been fully exhausted. This research therefore investigated the flexural behaviour of concrete produced using scrap rubber tyre as partial replacement of coarse aggregate. Scrap Rubber Tyres (SRT) were chopped into smaller sizes; with 19 mm maximum size and used to partially replace coarse aggregate within 0 to 12% at 3% interval. The constituents were batched by weight. 45 concrete beams of grade 20 were cast and cured for 7, 28 and 90 days. Flexural strength behaviour of the specimens was tested; and the 0% SRT concrete serves as control. Data were analysed using Analysis of Variance at 5% Significance level. The slump and compacting factor of the fresh concrete ranged from 29-100 mm and 89-99%, respectively. The flexural strength of the rubberized concrete at 28 days were 21.3, 14.0, 13.2, 12.2, and 13.3 N/mm2. Rubberized concrete at 3% partial replacement can be useful for light weight structural members. The scrap rubber tyres possess significant potentials which could advance its utilization under improve technology.

Flexible and disposable paper-based gas sensor using reduced graphene oxide/chitosan composite

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a representative toxicant in air pollution that mostly arises from the exhaust gas released by automobiles. It is related to various respiratory diseases such as pneumonia and sudden infant death syndrome. Additionally, because the toxicity of nitrogen dioxide is high in overpopulated areas (i.e., a capital or metropolis), the development of simple, practical, and facile sensors is highly needed. This work presents a flexible and disposable paper-based NO2 sensor based on a reduced graphene oxide/chitosan (rGO/CS) composite. The synthesized rGO/CS composite can be easily flexed and deformed into various shapes, which are attributed to chitosan molecules that function as a dispersion and reduction agent and support material. In addition, this composite can be attached to paper owing to its adhesive property; hence it can be utilized in versatile applications in a disposable manner. By analyzing the conductive change of the rGO/CS composite when it reacts with NO2, we can detect nitrogen dioxide in a concentration range of 0–100 ppm with a detection limit of 1 ppm. Moreover, we performed NO2 detection in the exhaust gas released by automobiles using the rGO/CS composite for practical application. The results indicated that the rGO/CS composite has the potential to be used in feasible gas sensing as a facile and disposable sensor under various conditions.

Mass violence in Copper Age Europe: The massacre burial site from Potočani, Croatia.

To provide a comprehensive analysis of perimortem cranial injuries found on human remains from the Eneolithic (ca. 4200 BCE) mass grave discovered at Potočani, Croatia, to test if the assemblage is a result of a deliberate violent episode on a massive scale. Standard bioarchaeological analysis, including inventory of the preserved elements, minimum number of individuals, sex determination, age at death, as well as pattern and distribution of trauma, was recorded. A minimum of 41 people are present in the sample. Both sexes and almost all age groups are represented, with a prevalence of children and young adults. Four blunt force antemortem injuries are registered in three adult males and one subadult while perimortem injuries are recorded on 13 crania with a total of 28 injuries. The distribution of perimortem injuries is not patterned with age, sex, or siding, and their location is on lateral, posterior, or superior parts of the crania. No "defensive wounds" or other type of injuries are observed on postcranial elements. The injuries, manner of disposal of the bodies, radiocarbon dates, and other available data strongly suggest that the Potočani sample represents a single episode of execution during which the Potočani people were unable to defend themselves. The Potočani massacre is the oldest such example in southeastern Europe and provides additional evidence that indiscriminate violence on a massive scale is not a product of modern societies.

A Pneumatically Driven, Disposable, Soft Robotic Gripper Equipped With Multi-Stage, Retractable, Telescopic Fingers

Robots use their end-effectors to grasp and manipulate objects in unstructured and dynamic environments. Robot hands and grippers can vary from rigid and complex designs to soft, inflatable, and lightweight structures. In this paper, we focus on the modeling and development of a pneumatically driven soft robotic gripper with retractable telescopic fingers and finger bases with abduction / adduction capabilities. Both the main fingers and the base actuators use a pre-folded, telescopic structure facilitating passive retraction. The efficiency of the proposed device is experimentally validated through different types of experiments: i) grasping experiments that involve different everyday objects ranging from household objects and fragile items to medical waste and consumables, ii) force exertion experiments that capture the maximum forces that can be exerted by the proposed device when utilizing the different actuators of the gripper, and iii) grasp resistance experiments that focus on the effect of the inflatable structure on resisting environmental uncertainties and disturbances. The proposed gripper is able to grasp a plethora of objects, and can exert more than 14 N of grasping force. The design is so low-cost and modular that the soft fingers and palm pad of the gripper can be used in a disposable manner, facilitating the execution of specialized tasks (e.g., grasping in contaminated environments, handling of medical waste, etc). When it is not inflated, the gripper profile is thin and compact to facilitate storage.

Eco-friendly and enhanced colorimetric detection of aluminum ions using pectin-rich apple extract-based gold nanoparticles.

Aluminum ions are very toxic to human health, especially in relation to neurodegenerative diseases. However, conventional methods of detecting such toxic ions suffer from the use of poisonous chemical probes and complex processes. Herein, we report an eco-friendly and enhanced colorimetric method of aluminum ion detection using green-synthesized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) from apple (Malus domestica) extract. The apple extract-based AuNPs (AX-AuNPs) contain abundant pectin different from citrate-based AuNPs. The pectin-rich AX-AuNPs improved the sensitivity of the colorimetric detection of aluminum ions. The detection limit was about 20μM both in artificial and drinking water-based real samples. Interestingly, it is turned out that the AX-AuNPs were aggregated naturally after the chemical assay because of solution getting decayed. For the environmental perspective, it was great that the lump of AX-AuNP aggregates could easily be removed from the solutions before solution discard. Overall, our results indicate that AX-AuNPs offer a high-selectivity, enhanced colorimetric detection of aluminum ions in a short time (less than 1min), based on an eco-friend synthesis and disposal manner of AuNPs.

Review on Different Beneficial Ways of Applying Alum Sludge in a Sustainable Disposal Manner

Disposal of waste from water treatment plant is one of the major issues most treatment plants seem not to overcome due to the constant generation of this waste as a result of meeting the demand of water and purification of water for human consumption. The effect of disposing sludge constantly in the environment has called for an economical and sustainable way of reusing alum sludge. However, this paper aimed at reviewing the possible literature on applying waste from water treatment plant in various ways, example; in building material; as brick and tiles, in concrete ; as replacement of cement and aggregate, in Geotechnics; as soil stabilizer and in agriculture; as soil fertilizer, in pottery; use as replacement of clay in flower pot production for sustainable disposal. All the above mentioned categories of uses have reviled an effective and efficient way in managing waste from water treatment plant (alum sludge), also a safer and economical manner of disposal. However, the effects when used and the behaviour when it is incorporated with other materials were highlighted, other reuse and disposal options where discussed and the areas not covered (knowledge gap) was identified.

An Overview of Forest Offences in Himachal Pradesh from 1965-66 to 2009-10: Trends in Detection and Manner of Disposal

An exercise undertaken in this article has unravelled the status of forest offences in Himachal Pradesh from 1965-66 to 2009-10. It brought out that a total of 10,39,172 no. of forest offences (average 23093 annually) were taken cognizance of in the State from 1965-66 to 2009-10. The highest no.of offences ( 43901 no.) were detected in 1975-76 and the lowest (11869 no.) in the year 2006-07. Illegal felling & grazing related offences together constituted nearly 57%, forest fire related offences were less than 2% whereas the miscellaneous offences were nearly 40% of the total. The period from 1971 to 1985 experienced sharp increase in the number. of forest offences, though the offences taken cognizance of were disposed off quite efficiently. The rate of disposal ranged from 71.88% to 80.13% during various time periods from 1965-66 to 2009-10 with overall disposal rate of 77.52 % Of the total no. of offences disposed off 9.3% of the cases were taken to Courts/ authorised officers and 78.4%. were disposed off by way of compounding, 13.23% remained untraced/filed. Periodic trend (5 year blocks i.e. P1 to P9) revealed 50% decline in forest offences during P-9 (2005-2009) compared to what existed during P-1(1966-70). Ironically the downturn was despite tremendous increase in human and domestic animal population in the State during same time. The success rate of the offences decided by Courts/ Authorised officers ranged from 76.92% during-P-1(1965-69) to 98.9% during P-9(2005-09) as per data published by State Forest Department. On the other hand, cases registered with Police from 1988 to 2015 secured conviction rate of 12.99%.

Occurrence, composition, source, and regional distribution of halogenated flame retardants and polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxin/dibenzofuran in the soils of Guiyu, China

Guiyu, China, is well-known for the crude disposal of electronic waste (EW) and severe persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Therefore, in this study, the occurrence, composition, and source of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), 2,2′,4,4′,5,5’-hexabromobiphenyl (BB153), some novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs), Dechlorane Plus (DP) and polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PBDD/Fs) in farmland soils covering Guiyu were studied. In EW disposal area soils, PBDEs were the most abundant FRs, with concentrations of 13–1014 ng g−1. The primary PBDE sources were technical Penta- and Deca-BDE mixtures in northern and southern Guiyu, respectively. The levels of BB153 were relatively low, possibly because it has been banned in the 1970s. The concentrations of hexabromobenzene (HBB) were 0.048–3.3 ng g−1, while pentabromoethylbenzene (PBEB) was almost not detected in the soils. Two alternatives to commercial PBDEs, decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) and 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy) ethane (BTBPE), were the primary NBFRs, with concentrations of 1.8–153 ng g−1 and 0.43–15 ng g−1, respectively. DP was another primary FR, with concentrations of 0.57–146 ng g−1. Moreover, syn-DP and anti-DP isomers were not stereoselectively decomposed during the EW disposal process and were therefore present in their original fractions in the soils. The levels of PBDD/Fs in EW disposal area soils were 2.5–17 pg TEQ g−1. 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpBDF and OBDF were the dominant congeners, mainly derived from processing, pyrolysis and combustion of BFRs. The regional distribution of pollutants was shown to be related to the disposal manner of EW, with their open thermal disposal tending to release more highly brominated compounds such as BDE209, DBDPE, and 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpBDF. Additionally, some riverbank sites were heavily polluted because of nearby point sources, downwind Simapu (SMP) town without EW disposal activity was also contaminated by these pollutants.

Assessment of a Planned Municipal Solid Waste Management System in Sri Lanka

Systematic Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) authorities of Sri Lanka contributes to exchange some productive outputs with localities; however it is still not in a successful mode due to limitations and environmental failures in their operation. Most of these local administrations are directly dumping Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to an open dumping site, this manner of inappropriate disposal of MSW is become a major threat to the environment and public health in developing countries like Sri Lanka. This study was conducted for the MSWM practices of Balangoda Urban Council. The research was performed based on analyzing information obtained from field observations; reports; literature; questionnaire distribution among community; and a series of formal interviews with major stakeholders. The ongoing MSWM practices of Balangoda Urban Council encompass six categories as waste minimization and handling; waste collection; on-site separation; waste transportation; further management including grading, composting, recycling, producing sludge fertilizer; and final disposal to an open dump site. Apart from those, training sessions on MSWM are also being conducted. The purpose of this paper is to assess current status of urban waste management scenario and highlight strengths and weaknesses to understand the sustainability of the system which would help any local authority to improve MSWM. © JASEM

Abstract TP234: New Clinical Application of Measurement of Blood Viscosity With an Electromagnetically Spinning Sphere Viscometer in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients

Introduction: Blood viscosity (BV) is an important blood property for determining the hemodynamic status. High BV causes blood stagnation and subsequent thrombotic reactions leading to cerebral infarction. However, clinical application of the measurement of BV is out of fashion due to the stereotype that the measurement results are within expectations with less clinical value. Hypothesis: Since the importance of BV remains unchanged in the pathogenesis of vascular diseases, BV values should still contain important information. We hypothesize that BV values may differ among stroke subtypes based on pathological condition. Methods: A new type of viscometer was recently developed using an electromagnetically spinning sphere (EMS) method, which enable us to measure small amount of samples quickly and sequentially in non-contact disposable manner. We measured BV in 100 healthy outpatients and 67 acute ischemic stroke patients (atherothrombotic: 28, lacunar: 23, and cardioembolic: 16) with EMS viscometer. The relationships between BV and hematological parameters were analyzed. The measurements in the acute stroke patients were performed a total of 4 times (Day0, Day2, Day7, and Day14 from the admission). Results: BV values in the healthy outpatients correlated more strongly with the total count of red blood cells and platelets (R2=0.6957) than with the hematocrit (R2=0.6435) in an exponential approximation. Compared with BV values in the healthy outpatients (4.57±0.76 mPa·s), Day0 BV values in the lacunar patients (5.37±1.11 mPa·s) were significantly higher (p<0.01), but those in the atherothrombotic patients (4.82±0.98 mPa·s) and in the cardioembolic patients (4.66±0.93 mPa·s) were not significantly different. In comparison between the values at Day 0 and Day 14, the lacunar patients alone showed a significant decrease from Day0 to Day14, suggesting that the lacunar patients suffered from dehydration at the onset. Conclusion: BV values at Day0 of lacunar infarction were significantly increased, which indicated contribution of dehydration to the onset of lacunar infarction. These measurements were performed with only 0.3ml of blood quickly and sequentially; therefore, the clinical application of the EMS viscometer appears to be promising.

On-Chip Mesoporous Functionalized Magnetic Microspheres for Protein Sequencing by Extended Bottom-up Mass Spectrometry.

A limited amount and extreme concentration variability of proteomic-related samples require efficient analyte preconcentration and purification prior to the mass spectrometry (MS)-based analysis. Preferably, these steps should be coupled online with chosen fractionation and detection techniques for the minimization of the sample loss. To realize such sample pretreatment, herein, an on-chip solid-phase extraction-gradient elution-tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-GEMS/MS) is introduced. This technique combines in a microfluidic format online sample preconcentration/purification on SPE sorbent with further fractionation and MS/MS analysis. C8-functionalized mesoporous magnetic microspheres are chosen as a sorbent, spatially confined with an applied magnetic field. They ensure a selective enrichment and analysis of large hydrophobic peptides (2.5-7 kDa), matching the desired mass bin of the extended bottom-up proteomic (eBUP, 3-7 kDa) approach. Within less than 35 min and without additional sample purification, SPE-GEMS/MS provided 66.5% of protein sequence coverage from 75 fmol of BSA tryptic digest. Analysis of only 33 fmol of a single monoclonal antibody, digested with secreted aspartic protease 9 (Sap9) to large peptides, yielded 80% of its sequence coverage. A more complex equimolar mixture of six antibodies (55 fmol each), submitted to Sap9 proteolysis, was also successfully processed by SPE-GEMS/MS, resulting in 50-67% of the total antibody sequence coverage. Importantly, for all antibodies, unique peptides containing complementarity determining regions were detected for both heavy and light chains, leading to a correct identification of mixture components despite their high sequence homology. Moreover, SPE-GEMS/MS microchip and chosen magnetic sorbent are cost-effective and can be produced and operated in a disposable manner. Therefore, the present technique could be potentially suitable for a high throughput sequencing of monoclonal antibodies and rapid eBUP-based structural protein analysis, especially when only a limited sample amount is available.

Acute toxicity of peroxy sulfonated oleic acids (PSOA) to freshwater aquatic species and sludge microflora as observed in laboratory environments.

BackgroundPeroxy sulfonated oleic acids (PSOA) is a novel surfactant peracid. The commercial applications of PSOA result in the chemical primarily being disposed of via industrial waste water effluent. Given this manner of disposal, it is important to understand the aquatic hazards of the chemical to better assess the risk posed to aqueous environments. Acute aquatic toxicity laboratory experiments were performed to evaluate aquatic hazards and were conducted according to standard OECD test guidelines with rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), water fleas (Daphnia magna) and algae (Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata). In addition, microbial toxicity was evaluated in activated sludge obtained from a domestic sewage treatment facility.Results Lethal concentration in 50 % of test species (LC50) and effect concentration in 50 % of test species (EC50) values for PSOA ranged from 0.75 to 5.44 mg/L, representing a relatively small range spanning less than an order of magnitude. No observed effect concentration (NOEC) and lowest observed effect concentration (LOEC) ranges were also relatively small, with ranges of 0.25–1.66 and 0.5–3.6 mg/L, respectively. The EC50, LOEC and NOEC values for microbial toxicity were 216, 60 and 20 mg/L, respectively. Predicted no effect concentrations (PNEC) for aqueous media were based on the 96-h LC50 (0.75 mg/L) for O. mykiss, the organism displaying the greatest sensitivity to PSOA. These values were derived for freshwater, marine water and intermittent releases to water and ranged from 7.5 × 10−5 to 7.5 × 10−3 mg/L. A sewage treatment plant PNEC of 2 mg/L was derived based on an activated sludge 3-h NOEC of 20 mg/L.ConclusionThese values, along with the anticipated environmental fate and transport for PSOA, were considered in assessing the overall aquatic risk posed by this chemical. Despite the relatively high acute aquatic hazards for PSOA, environmental modeling suggests the overall risk of PSOA to aqueous environments is low based on its anticipated uses. This conclusion is consistent with the significant processing of industrial wastewater by onsite or municipal wastewater treatment facilities prior to release to the environment.

Adjudicating Litigotiation: A Snapshot of Cases Filed in the Family Court of Mumbai between 2010-2014

How does litigation fare in Indian courts? How long do cases last and how are they disposed? Do men and women litigate equally and do they receive equal justice? In this paper, I offer a statistical 'snapshot' of litigation in the Family Court of Mumbai during the 5 year period between 2010-2014. Using data extracted from about 32000 cases made available online by the Family Court, I was able to arrive at indicative figures for the gender distribution of litigants, average disposal times, the manner of disposal, and the primary grounds of seeking relief. The data presented in this paper indicates that family courts today largely serve as venues for what Marc Galanter has, in the American context, termed ‘Litigotiation’ – the “strategic pursuit of (mediated) resolution through mobilizing the court process”. The data also reveals latent patterns of discrimination in the adjudication of women’s economic rights.This paper is offered as a modest demonstration of the potential that methodologies of jurimetrics, elsewhere titled “digital humanities” can offer to Indian legal research.

Contrastive Study of the Radiography on Film and Real-time Imaging

The dissertation introduced the development of the real-time imaging inspection technique, and contrast study of the techniques of the radiography on film and real-time imaging from the principle, technique parameter, system composing, post disposal manner and archive. Taking a verification test of inspected the main rotor blade and composite material insert part with the radiography on film and real-time imaging, the result is that the two kinds of inspection techniques are similar in two kinds of parts. If using the real-time imaging technique can improve the working efficiency, reduce the labor intensity and improve environmental protection. However, there are no evaluation criteria of imaging for the real-time imaging technique now, and still using the criteria films as the acceptance criteria. The radiography on film is the main inspection means, but the real-time imaging technique will be the development direction.

Nonwoven Fabrics Made by Using Recycled Polyester Fiber to Reinforce Low-Melting-Point Polylactide: Processing Technique and Property Evaluation

Polymeric material, which is commonly used in packaging, has been widely applied due to the fact that it is lightweight and chemical resistant. Being non-degradable, polymeric waste can thus only be eliminated by burning, and subsequently, there is a rising need for degradable polymeric material to manage this manner of disposal. This study thus uses degradable, low-melting-point polylactide (LMPLA) fibers and recycled polyester (RPET) fibers to make nonwoven fabrics for packaging. The tensile strength, tear strength, and air permeability of the nonwoven fabrics are then tested. The experiment results show that a 40% of RPET fibers can effectively promote the mechanical properties of the LMPLA nonwoven fabrics.

Levels, profiles and source identification of PCDD/Fs in farmland soils of Guiyu, China

The present study finished the first comprehensive survey of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in farmland soils of Guiyu, China. Guiyu was a major electronic wastes (EWs) dismantling area, but primitive and crude EWs disposal manner had led to severe PCDD/Fs pollution there. Twenty-three farmland soil samples covering the entire Guiyu region were analyzed. Toxic equivalent quantities (I-TEQs) of soils in EWs disposal areas were 5.7–57pg TEQ g−1, and the total concentrations of tetra- to octa-homologues were 2816–17738pgg−1. The SL district was a heavily contaminated area, and the neighboring SMP town was influenced by Guiyu. EWs disposal might be the source of PCDD/Fs. The homologue profiles were of three types, representing different disposal manner of EWs. Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxins (TCDDs) and octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (OCDD) could be used as indicators for source identification, open thermal disposal of EWs was inclined to lead to formation of TCDDs, OCDD was a product of non-thermal processes.