State Key Joint Laboratory for Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
School of Community Health Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, Nevada 89557, United States.
Environ Sci Technol. 2021 Jun 1;55(11):7335-7343. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.0c07058. Epub 2021 May 14.
Short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs and MCCPs, respectively) have raised environmental concern due to their potential for persistence, long-range transport, bioaccumulation, and toxicity. However, little is known about the production, use, and environmental emissions of SCCPs and MCCPs in China, the world's largest producer and consumer. In this study, we estimated the amounts of SCCPs and MCCPs produced and used in China in 2018-2019 based on a nationwide survey and measurements of concentrations in products, from which we estimated the environmental emissions of SCCPs and MCCPs in China. Our results show that 225.2 and 236.4 metric kilotons (kt) of SCCPs and 428.5 and 450.2 kt of MCCPs were used in China in 2018 and 2019, respectively, with poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) products dominating SCCP and MCCP usage. Moreover, a total of 3.9 and 4.2 kt SCCPs and 3.8 and 4.1 kt MCCPs were emitted into China's environment in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Although less MCCPs are released into the air relative to SCCPs, their level exceeds the emission of SCCPs into soil. Finally, detailed mass balance calculation indicates that, although emissions from the use of PVC products dominate SCCP and MCCP inputs into the air, emissions from the use of polyurethane foam adhesives are more closely related to input into surface waters for SCCPs and MCCPs. For input into soil, the main emission sources are the use of polyurethane foam adhesives (for SCCPs) and rubber products (for MCCPs). This study provides a preliminary overview of the distributions of SCCPs and MCCPs in products and insight into the mass balance of SCCPs and MCCPs from their production and use to emission in China. This assessment also provides an important foundation for better understanding the environmental risks and fates associated with SCCPs and MCCPs in China and around the world.
短链和中链氯化石蜡（SCCPs 和 MCCPs）因其持久性、长距离迁移、生物累积性和毒性而引起了环境关注。然而，对于中国这个全球最大的生产国和消费国，人们对 SCCPs 和 MCCPs 的生产、使用和环境排放情况知之甚少。在本研究中，我们根据全国范围的调查和产品浓度测量结果，估算了 2018-2019 年中国 SCCPs 和 MCCPs 的生产量和使用量，并据此估算了中国 SCCPs 和 MCCPs 的环境排放量。结果表明，2018 年和 2019 年中国 SCCPs 和 MCCPs 的使用量分别为 225.2 和 236.4 千吨（kt）和 428.5 和 450.2 kt，聚氯乙烯（PVC）制品是 SCCP 和 MCCP 使用的主要产品。此外，2018 年和 2019 年，中国环境中分别排放了 3.9 和 4.2 kt SCCPs 和 3.8 和 4.1 kt MCCPs。尽管与 SCCPs 相比，MCCPs 排放到空气中的量较少，但它们的排放水平超过了 SCCPs 排放到土壤中的水平。最后，详细的质量平衡计算表明，尽管 PVC 制品的使用排放是 SCCPs 和 MCCPs 进入空气的主要输入源，但聚氨酯泡沫胶的使用排放与 SCCPs 和 MCCPs 进入地表水体的输入更为密切相关。对于进入土壤的输入，主要的排放源是聚氨酯泡沫胶（用于 SCCPs）和橡胶制品（用于 MCCPs）的使用。本研究初步概述了 SCCPs 和 MCCPs 在产品中的分布情况，并深入了解了 SCCPs 和 MCCPs 从生产到使用再到排放的质量平衡情况。这一评估也为更好地了解中国乃至全球 SCCPs 和 MCCPs 带来的环境风险和命运提供了重要基础。
