Risk assessment of polychlorinated biphenyls and heavy metals in soils of an abandoned e-waste site in China

Risk assessment of abandoned e-waste recycling areas received little attention. Herein, we report the concentrations of 16 PCBs and 7 heavy metals in soils near an abandoned e-waste recycling plant in Taizhou, China. Our data showed that levels of tri-, tetra-, penta-, hexa-PCBs were 9.01, 5.56, 12.93, 3.13 mg/kg, and Pb, Cd, Cu were 6082.9, 42.3, 2364.2 mg/kg soil. Cd was the most prevalent contaminant with Nemerow index value of 44.3. Contaminants have been transported from the abandoned site to nearby areas. The ecology risk assessment based on the high toxicological effect in Chinese hamster ovary cells and earthworms showed that both PCBs and heavy metal residue pose high risk to the ecosystem. Hazard quotient showed that Pb, Cd, Hg and Cu pose high health risks for adults and children. Our results recommended a full examination of the risk and regulatory compliance of abandoned e-waste recycling areas in the future.