PCBs and PAHs in the Montreal urban community (Quebec, Canada) wastewater treatment plant and in the effluent plume in the St. Lawrence River

In surveys of three groups of workers occupationally exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) serum PCB concentrations were quantitated as lower chlorinated biphenyls (L-PCBs) and higher chlorinated biphenyls (H-PCBs). Serum L-PCB and H-PCB concentrations were many times greater among workers employed in power capacitor manufacturing than exposed areas. Statistically significant positive correlations of symptoms suggestive of mucous membrane and skin irritation, of systemic malaise, and altered peripheral sensation were noted with increasing concentrations of serum PCB. No clinical abnormalities attributable to exposure to PCB were observed. Serum PCB concentrations were positively and significantly correlated with glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGTP), and plasma triglyceride, and inversely correlated with plasma high density lipoprotein-cholesterol. These correlations were present across all study sites. These findings are indicative of PCBs' physiological effect on the liver, whose long-range health significance is unknown. Nevertheless, the consistent positive association of serum PCB with plasma triglyceride and negative association with plasma HDL-cholesterol may have long-term cardiovascular consequences.

https://oem.bmj.com/content/oemed/39/4/361.full.pdf

Metabolic and health consequences of occupational exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls.

Organic contaminants in the aquatic environment I. Sources and occurrence

Concentrations and patterns of the mono- through deca-substituted polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants were determined in all major unit operations and processes within a tertiary-level wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) having post-filtration ultraviolet light disinfection. The results show that PBDEs do not appear to be degraded substantially or otherwise removed by wastewater treatment processes such as anaerobic, anoxic, and aerobic biological treatment, anaerobic digestion, dissolved air flotation, or sand–anthracite filtration. An overall removal efficiency of 93% was observed for PBDEs in the WWTP due to sorption onto wastewater sludges, well below that predicted by equilibrium partitioning models. High levels observed in the resulting WWTP biosolids (~2.4 mg·kg–1 dry weight) may contaminate a wider environment through their use as a soil amendment. Lower concentrations of PBDEs contained within high volumes of aqueous WWTP effluent (~26 ng·L–1) may result in a large PBDE flux into ...

R.S. Peoples

Papers

Distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls in a municipal wastewater treatment plant and environs.