CONTAMINATION STATUS, EMISSION SOURCES, AND EXPOSURE RISK POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS IN ROAD DUST FROM SOME AREAS, NORTHERN VIETNAM

Abstract

Concentrations and congener-specific profiles of 7 indicator polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were
examined in street dust samples collected from an industrial park in Thai Nguyen Province, an urban
area in Ha Noi City, and a rural area in Bac Giang Provine, northern Vietnam. Concentrations of 7
PCBs in our street dust samples decreased in the order: industrial (median 5.8; range 2.1–22 ng/g) >
urban (3.5; 2.4–9.7 ng/g) > rural samples (0.06; 0.01–0.33 ng/g). These observations suggest a current
emission of PCBs in the industrial park together with historical releases from electric and electronic
equipment in the urban area, indicating the relationship between environmental levels of PCBs and
degree of industrialization and urbanization in northern Vietnam. Occupationally exposed persons
(e.g., street sweepers, salesmen, and traffic policemen) and children in the industrial and urban areas
were estimated to receive higher exposure doses of dust-bound PCBs compared to general population;
however, human health risks related to street dust contaminated by PCBs in the studied areas were
relatively low.
Keywords: PCBs, street dust, urban area, industrial area, risk assessment.