Abstract
Abstract Waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the EU. The airborne occupational and environmental exposures generated by this waste handling are poorly quantified, and the growing use of nanomaterials in electronics adds to the uncertainty of risk assessment. Emission and personal exposure measurements were carried out during industrial recycling for three different metal waste flows: WEEE, metal scrap and cables. Size distributions and number-, mass- and lung deposited surface area concentrations were assessed by on-line techniques, and filter samples were collected for gravimetric analyses, metal content, and electron microscopy. Samples for elemental analyses with Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) was collected by a 12-stage low-pressure impactor . Additionally, low-cost sensors were deployed for long term monitoring. By number, the size distributions from all three flows were heavily dominated by particles <100 nm. Electron microscopy showed that there are many different elements in the same particle and that the composition of different particles vary considerably. Abundant elements, according to ICP-MS, were Fe, Al, Zn, and Cu, but Pb, Mn, Ba, and Co were also detected. PIXE analysis showed that the chemical composition indeed is different in different particle sizes, with e.g. Cr almost exclusively being present in particles < 200 nm. Low-cost sensors, not previously used for monitoring in highly polluted industrial settings, functioned well after 30 days. This study shows that detailed particle characterization is crucial for understanding of today’s and tomorrow’s waste recycling exposures, and as input to future toxicological assessments.
Published Version
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