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Inventory and substance flow analysis of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in the Nigerian transport sector—end-of-life vehicles policy and management

  • 13th IHPA Forum and selected studies on POPs
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Abstract

Recently, certain polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been listed as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the Stockholm Convention. In this study, a preliminary material and substance flow analysis of commercial pentabromodiphenyl ether (c-PentaBDE) was conducted for motor vehicles—a major use sector for POP-PBDE in polyurethane (PUR) foam—for Nigeria. The methodology of the Stockholm Convention PBDE inventory guidance was used for the calculation of c-PentaBDE. Material/substance flow analysis was conducted applying the STAN software. The time frame for this analysis was 1980–2010, considering that this was the period when POP-PBDE-containing vehicles were largely imported into Nigeria.

It is estimated that the approximately 19 million passenger cars imported from 1980 to 2010 contained ca. 270 t of POP-PBDEs in ca. 401,000 t of PUR foam. A major share of cars from the USA and only a small share of cars from Europe and Asia were impacted. This simplified material and substance flow of PUR foams and POP-PBDEs in motor vehicles demonstrated the potential for environmental/human contamination and pollution of recycling/reuse for Nigeria and other developing countries.

The study developed the first preliminary inventory of end-of-life vehicles for Nigeria, following which the environment ministry has taken up the important issue of end-of-life vehicles management. Considering that a range of other pollutants are contained in vehicles (e.g. heavy metals, flame retardants, PCBs, chlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons and waste oil), this initiated activity should finally lead to an integrated management of pollutants and resources from the transport sector.

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Acknowledgments

The small grant fund from the Norwegian government to the Stockholm Convention Secretariat for financial support for research on PBDE in Nigeria is appreciated. Also, the support of Professor Paul Brunner for the use of the STAN tool is appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria

    J. O. Babayemi, O. Osibanjo & O. Sindiku

  2. Basel Convention Coordinating Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for the African Region, University of Ibadan, 1 Ijoma Road, Ibadan, Nigeria

    O. Osibanjo

  3. POPs Environmental Consulting, Lindenfirststr. 23, 73527, Schwaebisch Gmuend, Germany

    R. Weber

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  1. J. O. Babayemi
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  2. O. Osibanjo
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Correspondence to R. Weber.

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Babayemi, J.O., Osibanjo, O., Sindiku, O. et al. Inventory and substance flow analysis of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in the Nigerian transport sector—end-of-life vehicles policy and management. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 31805–31818 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6574-8

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