Metallurgical processes, such as
smelting, can generate organic impurities such as organic
chloride chemicals,
polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and
polychlorinated dibenzofurans (
PCDD/Fs). The objective of this study was to elucidate the serum
PCDD/F levels of 134 workers and ambient air levels around
electric arc furnaces (EAF), secondary
copper smelters and secondary
aluminum smelters (ALSs) in Taiwan. The highest serum
PCDD/F levels were found in the ALSs workers (21.9 pg WHO-TEQ/g
lipid), with lower levels in
copper smelter workers (21.5 pg WHO-TEQ/g
lipid), and the lowest in the EAF plant workers (18.8 pg WHO-TEQ/g
lipid). This was still higher than the levels for residents living within 5 km of municipal waste incinerators (14.0 pg WHO-TEQ/g
lipid). For ambient samples, the highest ambient air
PCDD/F level was in the
copper smelters (12.4 pg WHO-TEQ/Nm(3)), with lower levels in ALSs (7.2 pg WHO-TEQ/Nm(3)), and the lowest in the EAF industry (1.8 pg WHO-TEQ/Nm(3)). The congener profiles were consistent in serum and in air samples collected in the
copper smelters, but not for ALSs and EAF. In secondary
copper smelters, the air
PCDD/Fs levels might be directly linked to the
PCDD/Fs accumulated in the workers due to the exceedingly stable congener pattern of the
PCDD/F emission.
