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Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Africa: a review of environmental levels

  • PCB mixtures in a complex world
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Abstract

Several studies have shown an increase in PCB sources in Africa due to leakage and wrongly disposed transformers, continuing import of e-waste from countries of the North, shipwreck, and biomass burning. Techniques used in the recycling of waste such as melting and open burning to recover precious metals make PCBs contained in waste and other semivolatile organic substances prone to volatilization, which has resulted in an increase of PCB levels in air, blood, breast milk, and fish in several regions of Africa. Consequences for workers performing these activities without adequate measures of protection could result in adverse human health effects. Recent biodegradation studies in Africa have revealed the existence of exotic bacterial strains exhibiting unique and unusual PCB metabolic capability in terms of array of congeners that can serve as carbon source and diversity of congeners attacked, marking considerable progress in the development of effective bioremediation strategies for PCB-contaminated matrices such as sediments and soils in tropical regions. Action must be taken to find and deal with the major African sources of these pollutants. The precise sources of the PCB plume should be pinned down and used to complete the pollutant inventories of African countries. These nations must then be helped to safely dispose of the potentially dangerous chemicals.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIC-IDAEA, C/Jordi Girona18-26, 08034, Barcelona, Spain

    Rosalinda Gioia

  2. Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) Environment and Ecosystem Division, Pakefield Rd, Lowestoft, NR33 0HT, UK

    Rosalinda Gioia

  3. Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Idi-Araba, P.M.B., 12003, Lagos, Nigeria

    Abidemi James Akindele

  4. Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria

    Sunday Adekunle Adebusoye

  5. CMES, Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 2-5, Matsuyama, 790-8577, Japan

    Kwadwo Ansong Asante & Shinsuke Tanabe

  6. CSIR Water Research Institute, P. O. Box AH 38, Achimota, Accra, Ghana

    Kwadwo Ansong Asante

  7. The Institute for Thermal Power Engineering (ITPE) State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University Hangzhou, 310027, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China

    Alfons Buekens

  8. INSERM, Epidemiology for Cancer Prevention, Team on HIV, Cancer and Global Health, Inserm U 897—Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Bordeaux, 146 rue Leo Saignat, 33076, Bordeaux Cedex, France

    Annie J. Sasco

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  1. Rosalinda Gioia
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  2. Abidemi James Akindele
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  3. Sunday Adekunle Adebusoye
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  4. Kwadwo Ansong Asante
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  5. Shinsuke Tanabe
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Correspondence to Rosalinda Gioia.

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Gioia, R., Akindele, A.J., Adebusoye, S.A. et al. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Africa: a review of environmental levels. Environ Sci Pollut Res 21, 6278–6289 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-1739-1

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