Dechlorane Plus (DP) in air and plants at an electronic waste (e-waste) site in South China

Air and foliage samples (Eucalyptus spp. and Pinus massoniana Lamb.) were collected from e-waste and reference sites in South China and analyzed for Dechlorane Plus (DP) and two dechlorinated DPs. DP concentrations in the air were 13.1–1794 pg/m3 for the e-waste site and 0.47–35.7 pg/m3 for the reference site, suggesting the recycling of e-waste is an important source of DP to the environment. Plant DP, with concentrations of 0.45–51.9 ng/g dry weight at the e-waste site and 0.09–2.46 ng/g at the reference site, exhibited temporal patterns similar to the air DP except for pine needle at the reference site. The air-plant exchange of DP could be described with the two-compartment model. Anti-Cl11 DP was measured in most air and plant samples from the e-waste site. The ratios of anti-Cl11 DP to anti-DP in the air and plants may indicate the preferential uptake of dechlorinated DP by plant compared with DP.

► Dechlorane Plus was widely present in the air and plants in South China.
► Temporal patterns of the plant DP could be described with the two-compartment model.
► Plant uptake can efficiently reduce air DP concentration at the reference site.
► Anti-Cl11 DP was measured in most air and plant samples from the e-waste site.