The Distribution and Impacts of Dioxins and Polychlorinated Biphenyls in the Taiwan Er-Jen River

Abstract

The distribution and impacts of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/DFs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the Taiwan Er-Jen River were investigated by monitoring fish distribution and measuring PCDD/DFs and PCBs levels in sediment and fish samples. Most of the fish collected are pollution-resistant species such as Oreochromis spp, Liza macrolepsis, Channa spp and Megalops cyprinoides. the most polluted river sections are in the upstream where large amount of waste effluents from households, livestock rearing and nearby dumping sites were discharged into the river, and the lower reaches of the river where metal recovery activities including open burning of waste electrical wire/scrap occurred. Sediment samples collected near the burning site show 2,3,7,8-TCDD toxicity equivalents (TEQ) ranging from 0.014 to 14.2 ng g⁻¹ by PCDD/DFs and from 0.015 to 1.03 ng g⁻¹ by coplanar PCBs (Co-PCBs). the fish samples show TEQ ranging from 0.029 to 0.615 ng g⁻¹ by PCDD/DFs and from 0.012 to 0.12 ng g⁻¹ by Co-PCBs. Possible PCDD/DFs sources are discharged PCBs, open burning of waste wire/scrap, and pentachlorophenol. the consumption of these fish will cause an average intake of 54 pg kg⁻¹ d⁻¹ TEQ. the prevention of direct discharge of livestock and the dumping of waste effuents into River Er-Jen as well as the control of metal recovery activities appears to be the first step toward the restoration of River Er-Jen.

Key Words:

• Dioxins
• polychlorinated biphenyls
• fish
• sediment
• Taiwan river