Contamination by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in soils from dumping sites of municipal wastes in Malaysia

Mafumi Watanabe¹, Mami Niida², Hatijah Hashim³, Shinsuke Tanabe¹

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been produced about 1.3 million tons in the world. Due to occurrence of mass poisoning by feeding rice oil which contaminated with PCBs in Japan (Yusho incident) and in Taiwan (Yu-cheng incident), the production and new usage of PCBs were banned in developed nations in the 1970s and in Russia and Eastern Europe in early 1990s. However, considering their persistent and bioaccumulative natures, as well as continuous leakage from 'closed-systems' such as transformers and condensers, there are of great concern that contamination and effects of PCBs be extended over a long period of time in future. Technical PCB mixture elicits various toxicities, such as dermal lesions, body weight loss, hepatotoxicity, immunosuppression, reproductive and developmental toxicity, endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity, and carcinogenicity. Most of these toxic effects are occurred by coplanar PCBs and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), which are contained as impurities.

Coplanar PCBs, PCDFs and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), called dioxin- related compounds, are formed as unwanted byproducts during the synthesis of a wide array of commercial chemical products and combustion process. Due to their highly toxic effects to human and wildlife, many developed nations have conducted comprehensive investigations and management of emission sources, and have applied the standards for dioxin-related compounds. As these results, contamination levels are become to be decreased in various environmental media and biota. Despite such situation in developed nations, very little is known about the contamination status of dioxin-related compounds in Southeast Asia. In this region, the large-scale open dumping sites of municipal wastes are located near big cities, and are found combustions of wastes with lack of advanced waste incineration technology and low temperature burning. These are favorable factors for the formation of dioxin-related compounds, and therefore, exposure to these chemicals from dumping sites are of serious concern over the effects on human health, wildlife and environmental quality. Based on these backgrounds, the present study aims at elucidating the present status of contamination by dioxin-related compounds in soils from dumping sites in Malaysia.

Soil samples were collected in dumping sites in/near Kuala Lumpur and Penang, and in national park as reference site on October 2002. Chemical analysis of dioxin-related compounds followed the method of JIS with some modification.

Dioxin-related compounds were detected from all the soil samples in Malaysia. Relatively high levels were found in two samples from illegal dumping sites near Kuala Lumpur with concentrations at 3,100pg-TEQ/g on dry wt and 510pg-TEQ/g. These are exceeded the Japanese standard (1,000pg-TEQ/g) and value which must be kept under surveillance in Japan (250pg-TEQ/g), respectively. This result indicates the mass production of dioxin-related compounds during combustion of wastes in this site. Soil samples from dumping site near Penang retained dioxin-related compounds with concentrations ranging from 7.8pg to 48pg-TEQ/g. In contrast to these, concentrations in soils from managed dumping site in Kuala Lumpur were low as comparable to those from national park (reference site), indicating that emission of dioxin-related compounds from dumping site can be decreased in consequence of management of waste treatment.

Because PCBs, PCDDs and PCDFs are needed long time for their degradation in the environment, and contaminate not only surrounding area of pollution sources but also global scale, we consider that management of emission sources of these chemicals are of an urgent necessity.

Effecting an Awareness of "The Oceans We Share"
A Marine Educator's Perspective on Canada's PCB Inheritance and Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) as Indicators of Bioaccumulation

Jackie Hildering
Earthling Enterprises

ABSTRACT
Canada has banned the import, manufacture and use (in open systems) of PCBs since 1977 and has since been plagued with the implementation of effective clean up. The DEW (Distant Early Warning) Line is the most startling environmental blight to be dealt with. The life of the Canadian Arctic further tends with high loads of PCBs of global origin due to the "grasshopper effect" of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). Such realities have led to Canada taking on a leadership role in promoting effective global PCB management as is reflected in being the first county to sign and ratify the Stockholm Convention. However, it is the iconic killer whales (Orcinus orca) of the northeastern Pacific that are providing the greatest testimony to the reality of bioaccumulation and the global impact of PCBs. Research (Ross et al) supports that these populations are amongst the most contaminated animals in the world. They are exposed, not only to the inheritance of PCB use in Canada, but are subject to additional sources, including those originating from the Orient. The plight of the killer whales of the northeastern Pacific is cause for great alarm and relaying the research data allows for a very powerful educational message. The power is the result of killer whales being the subject of enormous human interest and emotion. Relaying research relating to PCB accumulation in such a charismatic species is highly effective in catalyzing an understanding of the need for global PCB management.

PCBS AS HAZARDOUS WASTES
THE AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE

Kate Hughes, PhD
for
The Japan Offspring Fund

This paper provides a historical overview of the development of a national management plan for PCB wastes as well as a PCB "profile" for Australia.

During the 1980s, the Australian community came to understand that the industrial growth so welcomed in the post-war years had created pollution problems and by the mid-1980s the issues of hazardous chemical wastes and destruction technologies were high on the agenda of environmental organisations. At that time, there were no acceptable destruction facilities in Australia for hazardous chemical wastes. Moreover, neither the government nor the professional sector had sufficient expertise on hazardous waste issues. A 1987 NGO report recommended that "niche" technologies should be encouraged to deal with various elements of the hazardous waste stream but by the early 1990s, the problem of what do with Australia's hazardous waste, including PCBs remained unresolved.

The Commonwealth Government established an administrative structure comprising a Secretariat and two committees and after several years a National Strategy for the Management of Scheduled Wastes and later, a PCB Management Plan were developed. Community consultation was an essential part of this process and resulted in critical issues being addressed in depth. They included safety in the workplace and standards for treatment of various forms of waste.

During this period, a number of technologies were being put forward for various waste streams and in Western Australia in 1996, a treatment technology came on-stream for PCBs and other hazardous chemical wastes. This followed several years of discussion, research and consultation and ultimately, the delivery of a PCB Management Plan. (November 1996).

Since the PCB Management Plan was implemented, 5,000 tonnes of PCBs have been destroyed, 1700 tonnes are in storage waiting destruction, 3500-7000 tonnes have been lost to the environment, leaving 5000-9000 tonnes outstanding.

Today's focus for PCB wastes is on manufactured articles rather than contaminated environmental media such as soil or sediments. Occupational health and safety is a key concern. Much of Australia's PCBs waste stream is in storage or has been destroyed however there are valid concerns about PCB residues that remain distributed in the environment. The import and export of PCBs is not permitted except in special circumstances. Recently a commercial tender was let for the collection and transport of PCBs and other dangerous chemicals from South Pacific nations to Australia where they will be destroyed in the "BCD" plant in Queensland. The monitoring of PCBs in food, breastmilk and other environmental media is undertaken by various agencies. However monitoring of the natural environment is not well-resourced and there is no dedicated long-term monitoring program in place. This is regrettable as high quality monitoring and reporting is an essential pre-requisite for the protection of the marine environment, particularly the coastal zones.

Twenty-Four Years after the Yucheng Incident
--Current Update on PCBs in Taiwan

Shu-te Hwang

The incident of Yucheng, the acute poisoning through the consumption of PCBs- contaminated Rice Bran Oil, took place in central Taiwan between 1978-79. The same type of oil processing machine has been identified as the culprit for both the Yusho(Japan, 1968 ) and Yucheng episodes. Decades of follow-up studies have cited the adverse health effects of the victims and children born from the victims. The government has subsequently taken critical steps in setting regulations to curb the problem. The once booming ship dismantling and scrap metal processing industry in the 80s has moved to China and other Asian countries. Some of the PCB-related hazardous waste sites in Taiwan have been identified and remediation plans have been undergoing in areas such as Erhjen River and Dafa Industrial Park. Studies on the bioaccumulation of PCBs in river fish revealed that southern Taiwan is more polluted than the north, which is correlated with the industrial use mentioned, and the concentration of PCBs in fish has decreased. Studies of PCBs and dioxins from human placenta and breast milk had been analyzed in recent years. PCBs concentrations and TEQs in cetaceans from Taiwan coastal waters were similar to the results from Philippines, British Columbia and Florida coast. Evidence shows that banning the use of PCBs has lowered the background levels of PCBs in Taiwan, while the operations of new municipal waste incinerators pose new threats to this land and its inhabitants.

PCBs Pollution in Malaysia.

Ms Hatijah Hashim
Research Officer
Consumers Association of Penang.

Since June of 1998, PCBs are not allowed to be imported into Malaysia, however products that are imported or manufactured before this date will contain PCBs. The use of PCBs in the country will also be at large as its identity is usually hidden under different names.

The disposal of solid waste (which may constitute products and equipments containing PCBs) is done almost solely through landfill method. It is also a practise in the country to salvage scrap metals from equipments and household electrical products. Metals which are of commercial value are removed while the waste which may contain PCBs are thrown into the landfills.

The disposal plant that handles PCBs waste in Malaysia caters for wastes generated by industries. The situation is further aggravated when the legal tools available are only for controlling PCBs generated industrially.

Evidence of PCBs contamination in the Malaysian environment dates back to 1985, when tests conducted on shellfish collected from sea bed around Penang island showed the PCBs content to be in the range of 400 - 600 ppb. The amount of PCBs detected exceeded the permitted level set by the Food and Drug Authority (FDA) of 300 ppb.

In 1992, tests conducted on 25 rivers in Peninsular Malaysia for PCBs residue showed that the amount was higher in the rivers that flow through industrial or densely populated area. The amount of PCBs detected was found to be in the range of 2.1 - 0.9 milligram per litre. This exceeded the level in the Proposed Interim National Quality Standards for Malaysia which sets a standard of 0.044 milligram per litre of PCBs in effluents.

In 1998 and 1999 tests conducted on green mussels collected from Malaysian coastal areas detected PCBs in the samples tested. Sample from Pasir Puteh Johor Bahru was found to contain the highest amount of PCBs. The study indicated that human activities around the area where the samples were collected contributed to the PCBs contamination.

Given the above situation there are ample evidence to show that PCBs exist in the Malaysian environment. In this context a concerted effort must be immediately taken both by the government and consumers to nib the problem at its bud and tackle the problem of the indiscriminate dumping of hazardous household waste Legislation should be enacted in order to prevent the dumping of PCBs or substances which have the potential of producing PCBs and dioxins into the dumpsite. Segregation of garbage should be made compulsory by all households. The government should also come out with an inventory on the amount of PCBs still at large in the country so that it can be disposed of safely.

Country report from Japan

The Japan Offspring Fund
Mami Niida

-ABSTRACT-
In Japan, disastrous incident known as "Kanemi Yusho incident" occurred in1968. Rice oil was contaminated with PCB and many people became victims, (In a later research, it was found out that the oil was not only contaminated by PCB but also with polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDF), a kind of dioxins). This incident aroused people's attention into adverse effects of PCB, and it lead to administrative guidance to request suspension of production in 1972.

In 1974, "The Chemical Substance Control Law" was settled and the production, the import, the export, and the new use of PCB were became banned. However, this law had a loophole. It allowed the use of PCB containing equipment such as capacitors that were already used. When these "exceptional" equipments finished their lifetime, they were often lost. The loss also occurred to stored PCB or PCB containing equipments through the long time storage due to the changes of responsible person.

Storage of PCB has high risks of loss, so treatment of PCB is in an urgent need. There have been only two treatment cases in Japan. This was because of the strong opposition of citizens against the construction of treatment facilities. It is reported that 58,787 tons of PCB were produced in Japan and about 50,000 tons of it remain untreated.

When almost all people were fogetting about PCB issues. In 1990s, few accidents on PCBs happened in Japan. As a result of the burst of the old ballast of the fluorescent light in schools, students were exposed to PCB. These accidents aroused public interest in PCBs again. Finally, the Japanese government began to take a measure on PCB. For example, "The Law for the Promotion of Environmentally Sound Destruction of PCB Waste" was enforced in 2001, obligating the location of PCB treatment facility within 5 years, and the completion of the treatment of PCB waste within 15 years. The government became accession member of the Stockholm Convention in 2002, and decided that a treatment facility is going to be constructed in Kita-Kyushu.

Abstract
Our report gives 3 sets of documented test results on PCBs pollution.

1. Storage of capacitors contaminates environment.
2. PCBs content in the Songhua River.
3. Pollution situation in Tebit`s Nagawi hilly areas.

The above evidences and data clearly show that our environment has been extensively polluted by PCBs wastes.
Our report also gives the steps taken lately by the authorities to curb the menace of PCBs pollution.