Toxic Hotspot in Kalasin
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the Surroundings of Electronic Waste Recycling Sites in Kalasin Province, Thailand
June 2023
Summary
Electronic waste and its imports from abroad represent a big burden for the environment and human health in Thailand. This study is mainly focused on research of community based informal e-waste separation anddismantling operations in the Khok Sa-ad subdistrict, Khong Chai district, Kalasin province in northeastern Thailand, where also a large dumpsite with substantial quantity of waste from electronic equipment and machineries is found. The main goal of sampling was determining the present levels of contamination in the area of interest. This study is focused on persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which are used as additives in electronic equipment and plastic used for its casing, such as, for example, brominated flame retardants (BFRs), Dechlorane Plus (DP) and others. We also focused on POPs produced unintentionally during the production of BFRs, and particularly during incineration and other thermal processes used for the disposal and recycling of plastics from e-waste. The spread of persistent organic pollutants into the environment caused by e-waste recycling was studied by sampling at various stages of the processing pathways of the waste and the POPs burden in local e-waste workers was studied, too.
