Involved Members: Dr. Henry Yuhe HE, Prof. Paul Kwan Sing LAM, Prof. Kenneth Mei Yee LEUNG, Dr. Phoebe Yuefei RUAN

Liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) can accumulate in fatty tissues of animals and affect the health of marine life and humans. SKLMP member Dr. Yuhe He and his team have detected LCMs in the waters off Stonecutters Island and Tuen Mun in Hong Kong. He postulated that the LCMs detected off Tuen Mun may have been released from damaged LCDs in the West New Territories Landfill. Most Hong Kong households today have more than one mobile phone or tablet computer, so when they clean these electronic devices, domestic sewage with LCMs is discharged to Sewage Treatment Works. Sewage treatment probably fails to remove all LCMs, resulting in contamination of inshore waters.

Reference:

Tao, D.Y., Jin, Q.Q., Ruan, Y.F., Zhang, K., Jin, L.J., Zhan, Y.T., Su, G.Y., Wu, J.X., Leung, K.M.Y., Lam, P.K.S., He, Y.H. (2022). Widespread Occurrence of Emerging E-Waste Contaminants-Liquid Crystal Monomers in Sediments of the Pearl River Estuary, China. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 437, 129377. (impact factor
14.224)